Ants on Life Support
by foot-in-mouth
Summary: The summer of '06 marks new beginnings in England. A young musician with big dreams and alot of determination gets up the courage to introduce herself to her music idols: The Gorillaz. Her stay in Kong brings about new adventures, feelings, and obstacles.
1. A Strange Welcome

It was a muggy June day in Essex, England. A light rain trickled down and the sun could barely peck out from the grey clouds. Kong Studios were eerily quiet and very hot as well. The building had not been the same as it used to be. Before the Gorillaz return, unwanted visitors had broken in and ripped the place apart leaving the building wrecked and swarming with zombies and haunting spirits. Besides all of these things, the band was able to return to Kong and put out another CD, "Demon Days" that became a large success. About a year latter, their music was still a hit but the musicians found time to relax in their home.

This day was no exception as each of the band members did as they pleased around the place. Noodle kept herself busy most of the day by reading magazines and cutting out things that interested her in anyway, which were then pasted on paper making collages. Murdoc stayed in his Winnebago plucking at his bass and doing other inexplicable things that need not an explanation. Russel was, on the other hand, tidying up some of the rooms in Kong and trying out new recipes, and God knows what 2D was up to. All together, it was not an exciting or out of the ordinary day.

* * *

As the sun and the heat went down, a beat up van stopped at the side of the road. The brakes squeaked as the van lurched to a stop and splashed a small puddle. The door swung open and a tall thin figure tripped out from the passenger seat. The person opened the back doors and pulled out large bags and cases. Closing the sliding door, the lean figure came to the driver's window and extended a hand with an offer of money, but the driver refused and started the car up with a deep rumble. The lean figure backed up and let the van take its coarse back onto the road, waving a hand goodbye.

* * *

In Kong, each person had still not seen one another for the entire day. They did everything that day alone, including eating dinner. It was near eleven and the rain was still falling, but barely. The silence that was carried throughout the day was broken when a loud knock came from the door. Noodle sat up in bed, being interrupted from reading her manga. Getting up, she began to walk down to the lobby to get the door.

Russel had heard this as well and was about to get up from the kitchen table when Noodle shouted out, "I'll get it. I'm coming!". The knocking came one more time just seconds before Noodle had arrived at the door.

"I'm opening it." Noodle shouted to the person as she unlocked the door and pulled it open by the handle. There stood a tall, young woman with bags and cases at her feet. Noodle looked at her for a second and then made a realization.

"Hellloooooooooh!" the woman yelped as she was pulled into the building by the teenage girl, followed by the door slamming shut.

"Wait!" the woman called from the floor where she had fallen, "My bags."

Noodle cursed in Japanese under her breath as she opened the door quickly and threw the bags in behind her. The woman awkwardly fumbled for the flying paraphernalia as it came at her. Noodle turned around and was about to speak when Russel popped his head in to look at the scene.

"What's goin' on, Noods? What was all the banging and yelling about? And who is she?" Russel said as he gestured to the girl on the floor.

Noodle walked over to Russel saying, "She was outside with the zombies. I'm surprised they didn't attack her. She, umm, must be a friend or a, uhh, visitor?"

The woman on the floor looked at Russel and Noodle, still a little shocked, and mouthed out the word 'Zombies' and then formed an 'o' shape with her mouth as she realized that she had just put herself in some kind of hazardous situation by being outside of Kong alone.

The woman looked around with a red face and glanced up to the two people above her who returned the looks.

She put her hands up as she exclaimed, "I'm so sorry about this all. I didn't know about the zombies bit and I really shouldn't have come right now. Bad timing, you could say." The tall woman composed herself and lowered her head in embarrassment and total shock that she was with both Russel and Noodle. She had an accent that sounded like a mix of British and American influence and something else that Noodle and Russel didn't pick up right away. The woman steadied herself with one hand as she lifted from the floor.

As she picked up a tall black and red bag, the sound of metal clinging inside was heard, and she proceeded to lean in against the wall. She had some other bags and a type of instrument case that was unfamiliar to Noodle and Russel. They looked her over and studied her from head to toe.

The woman that now stood in front of the two was about five feet and nine inches tall. This made sense since she had an awkwardly long frame. Her arms practically dangled from her torso and her neck and head were set high on her shoulders. Her legs were long and lean as they met her size nine feet. Despite her lanky and awkward stature, she wasn't frail either. She wore a pair of dark denim skinny jeans that met at the hem with a pair of red converse that were old and worn out. A plain black and white tee shirt met the jeans on the other side. Her hair came in shades of brown, caramel, and golden blond and was curled to below her shoulders. A small red headband held the mess of hair back, where small strands of curls were now finding their way in all different direction because of the humidity. She had a simple oval face with pink and freckled cheeks, a pair of green- blue eyes, a beauty mark on right cheek, long nose, and small pink lips.

Russel approached the girl and put a hand on her shoulder reassuring her, "Really, don't worry. It's cool, just be more careful next time."

"Alright." She replied as they heard a groan from the corridor. Murdoc slumped into the room sifting a hand through his hair and muttering to himself.

"Now what the hells all this racket 'bout anyway?" he asked with an angry tone but soon had his attention, and intentions, fixated on the woman standing near the door.

"Why, 'ello luv", he said strutting in her direction, "what brings you 'ere?" Before she could mutter an answer Murdoc interrupted. "If you need a place to stay," Murdoc was now leaning on the wall with one hand, looming over the visitor who was an inch taller than him, "your always welcome t' hitch wit me in my Winny."

Russel now had a hand on Murdoc's shoulder and spoke through clenched teeth. "Do you really have to do that all the time?"

"Wot? Did I do something wrong? I can't help when a highly attractive 'lady' comes 'ere and I wanto get … 'friendly' with 'er." He laughed his throaty laugh after emphasizing the word 'friendly'.

Leaning back to the woman he said, "You wouldn't mind being a 'friend', would you?" but she replied saying,

"Well it depends on what you mean by 'friend'. If you mean the kind of friend that gets under the sheets easily, I don't think so."

At first he was surprised at the turn down, but turned on at the same time by her sarcasm and witty comment and prepared for the next attempt, but instead the woman turned to Russel asking,"What time is it now?"

Russel looked at his watch replying, "Eleven eleven. Funny, huh?" She rolled her eyes from getting the urge to know the time right then.

"Probably could have guessed that myself. Thanks anyway." She stopped for a second and then started to talk once again.

"Umm, I didn't introduce myself, did I? I'm Paige Harris and I'd like to make a proposition for you guys."

Murdoc was now interested again, more interested than the fact that she was sure of herself about the time. With everyone's attention she continued.

"I've been going to an arts university some hours away from here. My forte is music and graphic arts and I would really like to show you some things. I know you probably get people asking to be in the band a lot but I'm not asking for that. I just want to help you inspire people with music and I think I can help, or just make a small contribution at least. Striving to be different has been, is, and always will be my goal in life and I think this band understands that differences make people unique individuals."

2D had heard everything Paige was saying from a distance. He had been spying on the whole scene since Murdoc had been shot down, which made 2D giggle on the inside but suppress the actually laugh to prevent another beating. Who ever this girl was, she was making sense to 2D and he felt he better see her.

"Wot'd I miss?" said the blue haired singer as he entered the room. Noodle, who by now was sitting slumped on the floor, opened an eye as 2D entered the room. She and no one else had seen him all day. He walked over to Paige with his wide gapped smile and extended a hand.

"I'm 2D. Nice t' meet you, er, Paige innit?"

"Uh huh", she replied as she shook his hand.

"You prob'ly know who we are, don't you? We 'ave Murdoc and Russ and lil Noodle." 2D looked and motioned to each person but stopped at Noodle who was practically asleep. Russel placed a hand on her head and helped her off the floor. He led the teenager towards the direction of her room telling her to get some rest.

"She's young still." Russel said as he came back to the three. Paige laughed.

"I was afraid that I put her asleep."

Paige looked at the men awkwardly. "Sooo," she said long and drawn out, "should I be doing anything for you guys? Or maybe I should wait until tomorrow 'cause I probably could get somewhere to stay and come back in the morning. I really don't want to bother you guys and all but I really wanted to show you what I can do."

She was about to continue her rambling but was stopped by a mash of Russel, 2D, and Murdoc saying their shares of 'No's and 'Don't worry's and 'You can stay's.

"Besides, we shouldn't do anything tonight. Especially without Noodle.

"Alright, I understand. Are there any rooms or a couch I can just crash on for the night and somewhere to put these bags?" she asked at she looked at the three men. Murdoc was the first to take the opportunity, of course. He walked up and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Listen, luv. I know I already offered this but you can always stay with me."

It was a split second before both 2D and Russel objected to the idea. The only thing he could say was, "You just want 'er for yerselves, doncha?" Russel began to think.

"You don't have to stay with one of us, but I'm still worried about you staying in some of the guest rooms. There really not suited for anyone to sleep in."

After a minute of discussion, 2D finally spoke up.

"Oi! I 'ave an idea. She can sleep wif me, if that's awright wif you."

Murdoc grunted.

"You dunce! I could 'ave come up with that."

"I didn't mean it like that. Like a sleep ova, yeh?" Russel stopped them.

"Paige, it's your decision, we aint gonna make you do somethin' you don't wanna?"

"Umm, I don't really care. As long as I have a bed I'm fine."

"So, you don't mind staying with 2D for the night?"

"No, I'll be fine. I'm just thankful that I have a place to stay for the night." Murdoc understood that he had lost this battle so he said good night to everyone but stopped to put a hand on 2D's shoulder, speaking in a low voice that was only meant for 2D to hear.

"You're lucky to be young and…" and paused and made a grimaced face, "pretty. Enjoy… for now." He let go of his shoulder and his deep laugh was heard as he left and disappeared.

"Well I guess I should grab these bags." Oblivious to what was said, Paige picked up a suitcase off the floor and placed it in front of herself with a thud, then turned to get the taller bag that she had leaned against the wall earlier, pulling the strap over he shoulder as the metal clinked again. 2D was still absently looking back to where Murdoc left and was thinking (in 2D's way of thinking) about what Murdoc had meant (also oblivious). Russel nudged 2D with his elbow, bringing him back to earth. 2D looked to Russel with a surprised and innocent look on his face

"Wot?" Russ just cleared his throat and nodded his head in Paige's direction.

"Is sumfink wong wif ya neck?" he asked, clueless of the notion Russel had given.

"Aren't you gonna help her?"

"Wif..?"

"Her stuff." 2D blinked and after a second walked over and picked up a smaller bag. Russel put a palm on his face. Paige giggled with her hand over her mouth.

"Really, it's alright. I'll carry the most I can." She said as she went towards the same exit Noodle and Murdoc had left through carrying most of the bulk. Just as 2D was about to follow, Russel put a hand in the way and stopped him.

"You better not hurt the girl, you know."

"Yeah, you've no need to wowy. I'm as gentle as a ki'en." Russel raised an eye brow.

"I mean don't **do** anything to her." 2D gave him a blank stare for a second.

"I know."

"Good." Paige just at that moment popped her head into the lobby.

"I'm sort of not sure where I'm going. A little help, please." Picking up two bags, 2D comically walked jogged over to her with high knees making Paige giggle and they both left through the door.

Russel shook his head and quietly muttered to himself, "This is gonna be interesting, I can see it now."

He flicked a light switch and the room went dark.

Paige and 2D walked down a long hall way. They hadn't said a word once, but that changed as Paige turned towards 2D.

"Murdoc was waiting for me."

"In the hallway?"

"Yeah."

"Wot he say, or more likely, ermm do?" Paige smiled and let out a puff of air.

They stopped at the lift door and it opened with a "ding". Both of them stepped in and the lift slowly made its way down. Paige continued.

"He didn't **do** anything. He was tryin' to be smooth and be all the shit, ya know?" 2D snorted.

"Murdoc is like that. All the birds fink it's attractive, or somefink. I donno."

"Ha, well he's not that bad. He seems like a fun person, I guess. But probably a little old for me. I'm still only twenty one, but I'll be twenty two in September. That's still not that old." She paused and quickly added in, "I have nothing against older guys, their usually sexy and all." After saying this, she blushed for sounding stupid in front of her idol. The door opened just in time and opened up to an open area that led to 2D's room. 2D opened the door and it swung open with a creak. Flicking on the light, the mess could be seen very well. Clothes, shoes, papers, cigarettes, and keyboards were just a few things on the floor.

"Home Swee' Home, ey?" 2D said as he walked into the room.

Paige was actually happy to see the mess of a room since that's how she usually kept her own. Organized chaos she called it. They both placed the bags randomly on the floor and Paige went to look around the room. She looked at posters, amps, silly little nick-knacks, and laughed as she kicked a pair of underwear off her foot. After she was done looking at the room, she turned to see 2D sprawled on the bed face down, legs split, and a hand on his head.

"Tired all ready? I didn't think I'd tire you out. I'm not that exciting." She said sarcastically.

"Nah. It's ma head. Hand me one o' them pill bo'les." He pointed a finger towards the lamp on his night stand, but Paige got the hint and grabbed the orange bottle next to the lamp placing it into 2D's hand. He took the bottle, popped the top open with his thumb, stuck a finger into the bottle, and popped a few pills into his mouth and swallowed.

"Fanks." He said putting the pills down and sat at the edge of the bed.

He patted a spot on the bed next to him and Paige awkwardly went to sit. She looked at him for a second; his head was lowered and eyes closed. She then looked around the room again, picking at her thumb nail, then biting on it (which was a nervous habit of hers), and zoning out a bit. She didn't even notice when 2D had turned to her and asked, "Where's the accent from?"

"Huh?"

"Your accent." She turned towards him and sat Indian style on the bed.

"Well, it's kind of a long explanation", she began but 2D just nodded, "I'm originally from Australia, you see, but I moved to the US of A when I was eleven-ish."

"Really?"

"Yup. Then I decided I wanted to go to collage here so now I live here. Well not **here **here, but in England. I guess the accent must have morphed over the years."

Paige stopped talking and it was quiet for a second. 2D looked at her with some interest. Suddenly she felt total overwhelmed and her face turned a hue of red. With an effort to hide her red face, Paige clapped her ands up against her face and shook her head a little.

Talking into her hands she said, "This is really too cool. This is the Gorillaz, and I'm in their house, and I'm in your room, and I'm actually staying here, and, and, and …." She stopped and looked at 2D through her fingers. He was looking at her with a bewildered and confused face. He was quite shocked at her sudden outburst. "I should probably shut up now. It's just I'm really excited and I've been trying to hide it." 2D put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Don't have a cow over it. You hid it wealy well so fawr." She laughed at herself a bit and 2D did as well.

"I'm such a drongo. Geez!" They continued to laugh.

"Wot the hells that s'posed t' mean?" She laughed one last time and smiling said, "It means I'm stupid." 2D looked at his digital clock. 12:23. Paige stretched out her back, went into her bag, and took out a pair of boxers, a shirt, and a toiletry bag.

"I'm going to get changed. K?" 2D pointed to the bathroom door.

"Go in there." She walked in and closed the door. After about three minutes she came out of the bathroom with her hair up in a bun and black thick rimmed glasses that made her eyes seem a little smaller. Her shirt had a little cloud with the number nine on it. Paige threw her clothes in the direction of her bag but ended up hitting 2D with them instead.

"Oi!"

"What are you doin' in my bags?" 2D looked around from where he was crouched over her tall bag with her jeans draped on his neck.

"Umm, well, I was just curious and... " He stopped as he pulled a long metal weapon out of the bag.

"A sword? Are you plannin' on killen' me or somefink?" Paige just smiled and rolled her eyes, grabbing the weapon from his hand. She pointed it in his direction, smiled and said in an evil voice, "Yes."

2D gulped and she just rolled her eyes. "I'm kidding. I fence. As a sport. I'm not gonna kill anyone." She put the weapon back in the bag and zipped it up. They both stood up and sat on the bed.

"Don't it hurt when you get hit wif it?"

"Well not really. It's not that bad since we really don't want to hit people too hard. Some times it hurts, though." Paige yawned and stretched. "I feel stuffed."

"Did you eat a lot?"

"Oh, sorry. I really have to stop saying things with a lingo. I mean I'm tired. Today was so long you can't even imagine." Paige was about to get in the bed but stopped.

"Does it matter what side I sleep on?" 2D looked at her and replied.

"Wot side d'ya fancy?"

"I'll take the left side." She replied as she walked around the bed to the other side. "You really don't mind that I'm in here?"

"Not a'all." She sighed and pulled the covers over and put her legs under the sheets. The pillow smelled like greasy hair and the sheets smelt like, well, a man and butterscotch? It wasn't like it was a bad smell; it was natural and very soothing. 2D walked over to a corner of the room and pulled off his shirt and his belt. Paige looked at him from the bed and grinned.

"I didn't know I was getting a strip show." 2D just turned around and put his hands up in defense.

"I'm wearin' pants. Oh, and underwear. If you don't wan' a see, then don' look." She just turned over onto her side and faced the left side. After a minute of clothes rustling and steps, the lights went off and the bed creaked as another person came in. They both faced away form each other, not touching, back to back.

"G'night."

"Night."

And they both fell asleep.


	2. Lets get Started!

It was nine in the morning and the room was quite except for the sound of heavy breathing. Neither 2D nor Paige were well-known for waking up early and today was no exception. But this morning, Paige found herself awake (not fully) but unaware of where she was at the moment. It was too early for her to realize that she wasn't in the small, one bedroom, one bed, apartment room she had been sharing with a friend for some time but instead in Kong.

Her friend and fellow classmate Amy had been generous enough to share the space, if not much, with her friend for the time being. After the school year ended, she had no place to go since she had dormed at the school and was lucky to have a good friend with a place to stay. Amy was a student in Paige's painting class and she was a work of art herself. Despite the fact that she was covered with numerous tattoos, Amy's clothes were all handmade by herself and her makeup was always painted with different colors on her face and eyes.

When Paige decided that things needed to change, she left the apartment and Amy behind and had spent the whole day trying to find Kong Studios. She was about to give up when she stopped one last person who was in an old, large, and junky van with an older man in his sixties behind the wheel. He was generous enough to bring her close to the place since he himself was scared of it. Paige was unlucky to have to walk all the way to the top of the hill, through the graveyard, just to get to the door of the haunted building. The first thing that met her was the floor as she was thrown into the building by her wrist. The next thing that she saw was Noodle throwing her bags at her. It wasn't the orthodox welcoming but nothing ever went as planned for Paige. The fact that she was even accepted to stay in the building for the night was not what she had planned to happen but was good nonetheless.

After waking again after drifting asleep, she opened her eyes and looked at the clock. 10:13. Paige realized that she wasn't on her side like she was when she had fallen asleep, but on her stomach. She turned her head to the other side but only saw a blue blur and realized she felt a pressure on her back. Lowering her hand to the strange pressure, her fingertips met skin that wasn't her own. Her hair stood up and the sudden touch of the unknown and she let in a small gasp. 2D had his arm over her, his hand not far from her hip opposite him, but was unaware since he was still sleeping. Paige blushed, pushed his arm away and put her glasses on. Getting out of the bed, she left the room with a stretch and a yawn as she walked out the door.

* * *

2D opened his eyes and grabbed for the alarm clock, missed it by a foot, tried again, and finally found it with the third try. 10:32. He dragged himself out of the bed and made his way up the left, down the corridor, and into the kitchen. At the table he found Murdoc, Russel, and Noodle. After fixing himself a bowl of cereal, 2D sat down at the table with the others. Mostly it was quiet for at least four minutes and during that short time 2D dropped his spoon twice. 2D looked around after picking up his utensil for the last time and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Did you know Paige was from Australia?"

"Really?"

"That's what I thought."

"Where is she anyway?"

It was quite again. 2D looked around the room, even though he was pretty sure he wasn't going to find her. He blankly looked at Murdoc who had asked the question with a face full of sudden fear and nervousness. 2D could barely stutter an answer as he began to think of the possibilities of something happening to the new and not well known girl.

"Aye, uh… I don't know, really."

Paige walked into the kitchen with an air of nonchalance and stopped when she saw the band members.

"G'day. I was looking around and I just wanted to say this place is huge. It really is a piece of work." Murdoc laughed.

"Only the best for Gorillaz. Did you get lost, luv, or were you trying to grow the suspense? I think dullard here was 'bout to 'ave a seizure, no?"

"Actually, I kinda did. Again. But it wasn't that bad. 2D, I'm sorry I scared you and I'll try not to do it again. Now, where can I get some of that cereal?" After being shown where to get some breakfast she sat down on the table and began to shovel in the food.

"Sho, um ey gunna be dewin' shum sor uh … introduction or audition today? Sorry for talking with food in my mouth. Bad habit."

The band mates now remembered why Paige was even in Kong. After some discussion and talking it was decided that Paige would show the Gorillaz what she had and what she could offer. They all gathered in the instrument room to starts off. Paige stood in front of the four sitting band mates and she began to introduce herself.

"As you know, I'm Paige. But besides that I'm here for music, not to tell you my name. Most of my life I've sang and played the piano, cello, and clarinet. I also learned how to play some other instruments like the drums, didgeridoo, and violin. I…"

"You can play tha' wooden pipe blowin' instrument?" Murdoc blurted out. It was quiet for a second as they all looked at Murdoc. "Wot? Tha's wot it is. Yanno the big camp fires with those painted Indians hoppin' round to drums and that, the eehh, well wots it called luv?" Russel pushed Murdoc lightly answering for Paige, "It's called the didgeridoo. The native people of Australia play it."

"Right. Tha's all nice to hear an' all but I'm goin'n the right direction."

"Pretty much you got the point, but Russel is saying it more fact wise." Paige said and cleared her throat.

"As I was saying before, I play many different kinds of instruments. I guess I can show you guys some of them." Paige walked over to a keyboard and turned it on. She began to play a nice contemporary song but soon melted it into a more modern and funky rhythm. After finishing, each of the band members gave their thought. Then she moved to the drums, explaining that she only knew a little and wasn't very good. After playing for a minute the same happened as before as each person said how they thought she did. So far, it seemed that they liked Paige not just because of her playing but because she was fun to be around.

Paige then picked up the same case that she had with her when she entered Kong; the one that neither of them could recognize from memory. Paige sat down on a chair with an amp by her side. She smiled as she opened the case towards herself so the others couldn't see.

"I'm about to introduce you to my baby. I've had her since I was sixteen and I wouldn't give her up for the world." Paige continued by plugging the amp into the instrument, then pulling a long black bow with white horse hairs from the case. Paige now placed the case down holding a shining electric cello in her hands. It was sleek and shaped in a swirl design. It really was a beautiful instrument that shimmered colors even if at first glance it only looked black.

"Now there are a few ways that I like to play my cello. I can play it normally like what you would think a cello would sound like. Then I can make it sound totally different. This composition I wrote myself and I hope you like it." Paige lowered the end of the cello to the ground and placed the bow against the strings. She slid it back and forth as the deep and rich sound filled the room. It started slow but gradually picked up tempo and pitch. The song was no longer than a minute but was a shortened version. Paige rain her fingers up and down on the strings and ran her bow back and forth, swaying to the rhythm of her movements. It leisurely came to a stop with one last long note; the room was silent. Noodle looked around to the men, then to Paige, and then to the men again who in turn were still looking at Paige.

Clapping her hands, Noodle said, "That's was very good and strong. I liked it a lot!" Russel also commented.

"I liked how standing alone, the piece had force but could also work with a strong beat and other accompanists." 2D then put in his word, but instead of a compliment, he changed the subject.

" 'ow else do ya' play the cello?" Paige smiled.

"I was just about to get to that. Thanks you for the compliments. Really enjoyed to hear someone liked it. Now, the other way I can play the cello is like an electric guitar and like a bass guitar. I guess I can play a little bit of both."

Once again, Paige lowered the bow to the strings and as she pulled the bow across, the sound of the cello was not heard. It sounded like an electric guitar. She played a fast and intimidating guitar solo that's made her fingers move swiftly up and down the strings and shake her bow rapidly back and forth. The members just stared at her hands and gawked at the swiftness and accuracy of each finger and its placement. When she was done she lowered her bow into the case and began to pluck at the strings rather than scratch them. It wasn't as close to the bass as it was the guitar but the sound was still good and reflected the same deep and strong vibrations.

Paige was finally done and looked up to see if what she had done was good enough or just not going to cut it. To her surprise, they were all impressed and wowed by her performance. Murdoc stood up and grabbed Paige's hand, shaking it strongly up and down.

"Welcome to the Gorillaz' collaboration crew, mate."

Paige was shocked and didn't know what to say, all she could do was shake back with the same vivacity as when she had placed the onyx bow to the strings of her instrument.

"Cods Wallop! You really mean that? I'm really shocked! I'm not even done with my presentation. I didn't even sing or show you my tapes and recordings and I, I, I haven't even mentioned my previous band and I didn't play the didgeridoo for you all…" 2D stopped her mid-rant.

"We don' 'ave a didg'ridoo, anyways."

"I still want to see more, Murdoc. Paige hasn't finished showing us everything." Russel informed the rest of them. Noodle and 2D also agreed with Russel and Murdoc went along with it.

Everyone was up and out of their seats giving Paige the opportunity to ask, "Can I show you some of the rest of my stuff in the theatre or somewhere like that? It's a video including a lot of the stuff I've done a while back."

"Wot eva floats yo' little boat, luv." Murdoc replied as he walked out towards the corridor. "I'll lead the way." He said as they all exited the instrument room, Paige walking right behind Murdoc with a bag in hand followed by 2D who walked next to Noodle, leaving Russel the last person out the door.


	3. Where I Belong

The theatre room was dark and now occupied by the five people. Paige began her way over to the band, leaning on one of the seats with her hands.

"Alright. Were taking this ride to the next loop. I made a video of myself and others I've worked with and compiled it into one presentation of everything. It's nothing special. There's no sound affects, or visual affects, or funny little titles. Just some clips and some music. That's it. Enjoy."

After finishing, Paige made her way to the row behind the band, sitting in the window seat between Russel and Noodle. On Noodle's right was 2D and to Russel's left a seat away was Murdoc. Paige took a controller in her hand and pressed a button, starting the video. The first clip was of a little girl, only about five years of age. She had a cute smile that was so wide that her eyes were squinted. She was laughing and spinning in circles, her wavy, light blond hair flying around as she spun.

Paige leaned over to the seats in front of her. "That's me. This video goes in chronological order so I'm starting from here and going on up until my late teens." Noodle was smiling.

"You were so cute!" she said happily as she watched the screen. Paige smiled back saying thanks and then returned to sitting in her seat. That's when little Paige began to sing a song.

_Hello, Mommy.__  
What is today?__  
I'm so happy  
For this special day._

_Happy birthday.  
Now you're thirty- two.  
I'll sing this song until  
I'm as old as you!_

Russel, Noodle, and 2D laughed at the silly song and Paige explained it was the first song she had ever written. The clip ended and it went black until the next clip began. A few of her younger year clips played. Some were of her singing while others were of her playing an instrument.

The clips then gradually made their way to the year 1997. Paige was twelve years old at the time, only in the seventh grade, and it took place at her old grade school. It was a talent show. A teacher announced a band called "Headphone Trauma" and the kids in their seats applauded as the curtain opened up to the stage. Behind the drum set in the back and center stage was a hefty boy with black hair that covered most of his face. On the right side of the stage was the guitarist, flipping his brown hair with the motion of his head. On the left was another boy, holding his bass and looking at the people nervously. Finally Paige walked onto the stage holding a microphone in hand as the cord followed behind her.

The students cheered on as she placed the mike on the stand. She looked different then she did now at twenty one. Her hair was straightened and some longer bangs swept over her right eye, striped with dark blue streaks. The song started with a bass line and then both the drums and guitar joined it. The song had a punk rock beat and Paige held the mike on the mike stand while the intro played, tapping her foot to the beat. Then she leaned in slowly, opened her mouth, and let out her voice.

_Pick me up, I am falling.  
Place me somewhere safe.  
Bring me back to the memories,  
Of that artificial place. _

The lyrics continued on as the Gorillaz and Paige watched the video. Murdoc turned around to face Paige.

"So this was your first band?"

"Yeah. To be more specific, my only band. The first and last you could say."

Murdoc turned around back to watching the video. Paige began to explain that her voice had changed a lot since then and that this wasn't one of her best performances. Lucky for Paige, they liked the sound of her singing voice pretty well from what they could tell. The song came to an end and so did the clip. Paige paused the video before the next clip could start.

"Ok, that was my band. We started only a few months before that clip so we were pretty new to each other and performing. I obviously was the singer of the band. The guitarist's name is Gavin and he is probably the strangest and most perverted person you will ever meet. I still love him down to the core, but he had me worried when we first met. Our drummer's name is Shaun. He looks like this big scary guy, but in all actuality he is just really shy and such a softy. Our bassist was Greg who was always the sweetest thing. He was such a good guy like he had no bad in him." Noodle fidgeted with her fingers as she began to mumble.

"So, I see you are not currently in this band anymore so, I was wondering. What broke it apart?" Paige closed her eyes for a second as she remembered the events that led to the break up. She looked at each person in front of her and then began to talk.

"Well, you see, we never intended to break up. We all wanted to make it big someday, but things turned out for the worst. It all started in the summer of 2002. It was midway in the summer when there was an accident. Greg had been injured in a hit an' run. He didn't make it. After he died, I didn't know what to do. We all didn't know what to do. We hadn't just lost a band mate, but a friend, a part of our family. We didn't really talk for a while and we just stopped caring about music.

A year later, the remains of the band came together and decided that we should move on and try again, since Greg would have wanted us to. Once again, the universe tried to prove us wrong. Shaun couldn't pay for his college tuition and had to drop out. His father saw him as a failure, and so did he. Shaun was so hurt and confused and me and Gavin tried to make him feel better but it never really worked. Sean continued to be mad at himself and anyone he was around.

Just one day out of the blue, he enlisted and left for the army to fight in Iraq, leaving only Gavin and I. We played together on street corners and small gigs, but it wasn't doing it for us. The replacement members weren't what we wanted. We weren't satisfied. That's when it officially ended. At that moment, I realized that our dreams, and our band, were dead…" Paige paused and gulped after saying the dreadful word.

The entire theatre was so silent you could probably hear a pin drop. They all felt terrible about the story, except for Murdoc who kind of felt bad. Paige looked up at them from the corner of her eye shyly and gave them a small reassuring smile.

"This video is in memory of the band all together. I still get calls from Gavin and I have some pictures of Shaun in the army. These are some of the best memories I have of Greg. These are some of the best memories of my life that I'm showing you. And don't think I'm trying to wussy into this band, I want you to see these clips for my talent, not that sad story I just told. The next bunch of clips are of later performances and lives that I had with the band. So, here we go."

She pushed the play button and the screen went from black to the next scene. This time, the band wasn't at a school but at a party of some sort. Paige slouched lower into her seat.

"Pft! Birthday party." She mumbled out while shaking her head a little. All the while, she had a grin on her face. The song started with a familiar drum line, one that all the member's of Gorillaz picked up. Guitar followed and then…

_WOOOHOOO_

"Song 2" by Blur was a well known song during 1999 so it was only customary for them to play it. Teenage Paige was jumping up and down holding the mike with both hands. Her hair was down, straightened, but had red streaks this time. The other teens were also jumping up and down with their hands in the air. Paige sang the song very well; the only real difference was that she didn't have a British accent and wasn't a man.

The song ended and another song began. Gavin started off the next song "Heaven Beside You". Paige sang into the mike, leaning over the crowd. She was a good performer, giving the other teenagers just the right amount of attention. Greg sang the back up vocals and played the bass at the same time and the song went on.

_Like the coldest winter chill  
Heaven beside you... hell within  
Like the coldest winter chill  
Heaven beside you... hell within  
Like the coldest winter will  
Heaven beside you... hell within  
And you think you have it still, heaven inside you_

Just as the song came to a close, so did the clip leading into the next few clips. They spanned over the next few years; they played some cover songs and some original songs. Each band mate's appearance also changed. Shaun's hair grew longer and longer and he also acquired a nose ring, adding to his intimidating appearance. Gavin went from brown hair, to white, to white with a big black streak that he kept for a longer time. He could be seen with eyeliner, a cigarette, and a groupie throwing something for him to wipe his sweat on. Greg changed into a less shy and taller teen with spiky dark brown hair. His outlook went from "momma's boy" to "individual" over a year or two.

Paige grew taller and more mature. Before, she looked like a plank of wood wearing a tomboy's wardrobe. In front of their eyes, she developed into a more defined shape and a more revealing stage style. In one performance, she was wearing black leather ass-less chaps, bright green undergarments and Converse sneakers to match, and a black tuxedo vest that revealed most of her back, shoulders, chest, and hips. A certain Satanist obviously loved the outfit and of coarse made a comment, which led to the good (in Murdoc's opinion) knowledge that Paige still owned said chaps.

The main change was the band's name: "Ants on Life Support". After starting high school, the name changed and the name stuck. 2D turned around to Paige when he realized this, which was about four clips after everyone else had realized.

"Paige?"

"Hmm?"

"You guys changed your name?"

"Yes. We felt it was more fitting. Both me and Greg decided on it." Russel turned around as well, also interested in the subject.

"What's it mean? Like, the reason you picked it?"

Paige leaned forward so she could explain and the group in front of her also turned to give her their attention.

"It's actually a simile of how most bands feel when they first start out. It's just my opinion, but they usually feel shocked that they have fans and that there were people who wanted to hear their music. We were totally confused on why people liked us, too. But then there was a part of us that felt like we couldn't live without music, that without it we would be nothing. We felt so insignificant and undeserving of fame but we stayed alive anyway by writing songs and playing gigs together. Ants on life support. That's pretty much the gist of what it means." The four just looked at her for a second, taking in the philosophical mumbo-jumbo of it all.

"Did that clear it up? Or did I just yabber too much? Once again, being a whacker. And I'm still talking!" Paige, as always, was stopped mid-rant and reassured that what she said made sense. Russel saw it as "deep" while Noodle thought the idea was "realistic and relatable to teenagers". Murdoc didn't think much of it since he was always sure of his success in the music industry and 2D didn't have much to say except "Tha's interestin', Paige."

Then the song "Ants on Life Support" began to play, one of Paige's original songs that she had written. In this clip, Paige was sitting with her cello and was about sixteen years old. Her hair was down and curled like it naturally should have been. The song was slower, and the cello slipped through the sound of the drums and bass. Gavin wasn't playing at this point. The lyrics were vague and mysterious, leaving you to think. Then the chorus kicked in and Gavin joined in the song.

_Complex questions  
Such simple solutions  
Trying to escape  
But the tight noose just wont losen  
_

_Just want to know  
Why I'm still not cured.  
I'm just an ant on life support  
Please don't pull the cord_

_By no means  
Don't want to go  
Don't you know_

_How it feels to be on your own  
Without a place  
Without a face_

Empty and lost from home. 

After the chorus was a cello solo that lasted for about thirty seconds. Paige was, admittedly, very in tune and exceptionally good at playing her key instrument. Her face was serine as she swayed back and forth, following each stroke of her bow across the strings. The next set of verses continued afterwards and then the chorus once again, this timed joined with back up vocals from Greg. The song ended and so did the clips. All that was there to see on the disk had been seen. It was silent as the lights in the theatre suddenly turned on.

"AaCHOooo!"

The four in the front row jumped up at the sudden noise, which was followed by two more sneezes. They all looked at Paige, who was now rubbing her nose with the back of her hand.

"Sorry. I'm a photic sneezer. I think I'm gonnAAachoo!"

"Shi kaze o hiku."

She rubbered at her nose again, hoping that another sneeve would not escape her sensitive sinuses. She looked up at Noodle and gave her a arched eyebrow and a small smile as if saying, 'Uhm, I don't speak Japanese.'

"Uhh. Thanks?"

Murdoc walked out of the seats mumbling under his breath about a "strange girl" that he hoped wasn't "diseased … or contagious."

After her sneezing fit, she got up and joined the rest of the now confused and bewildered band members to the aisle leading out of the theatre into the corridor. Murdoc draped an arm on the tall Australian.

"I liked it. I ain't gonna lie, luv. I genuinely liked it." 2D flinched.

"When 'ave you ever been genuine about anyfink, Murdoc?" 2D received a quick jab in the ribs.

"Ow!" Murdoc cackled to himself. 'That's better.' He thought. Paige looked on, feeling bad for 2D but also glad for the compliment.

"Well, thanks 2D."

"You have a good voice, a lot of experience, and stage presence; ya'll know what I mean." Russel commented on Paige. So did Noodle.

"Yes. I believe that you have a vast imagination and an open mind musically and artistically. I find you, uhh, pleasant to be around and an honor to meet and possibly work with." Noodle gave her a warm and wide smile. Paige was now smiling and blushing. Her modesty was taking the best of her.

"Thanks, guys. I really am thrilled to hear these things. I should probably be saying the same to you. YOU all inspired ME to do this." 2D was sitting on a table scratching his chin.

"Paige? Can I 'ear ya sing in person? I know we just watched the video but I want to 'ear ya in person." She looked over to the blue haired man.

"Well, I guess. I don't really have a song to sing. Ummm. Pick one." It was quiet for a second until Russel blurted out, ""Roxanne" by The Police."

"Wot?"

"Hmm?"

"Huhh?"

"Uhh… Sure. I can sing that…" Paige replied.

"Where the bloody hell did tha' song come from?" Murdoc interrupted.

"I watched a movie the other day and it was in it." Noodle pocked Russel.

"Oh. Oh. You mean the one with Eddie Murphy and he goes in jail."

"Yeah, that one."

"Are we going to let 'er sing or not?" Murdoc interrupted once again.

Paige was just standing in the background during the conversation. They made a hint to her that she could go when she was ready. Paige started to snap her fingers, getting the beat and playing the song in her head. She started to sing, putting a little character in her voice to fit the song. As she got to the chorus, Paige sang "Put on the red light" repeatedly, but the second time around for the chorus 2D suddenly joined in with a background "Roxanne".

Paige was some what surprised at first, but mostly taken aback that 2D, lead singer of Gorillaz, was **singing to her**. Well, not **to** her; with her. It was like a duet and the both of them continued to sing the rest of the song. The harmony just worked with 2D's high angelic voice and Paige's rich and slightly raspy voice.

It was incredible. They were incredible.

From that moment, they all knew that Paige was going to do just fine with the group.


	4. Out of Hand

The loud talking could be heard down the halls of Kong Studio's as the Gorillaz plus new musical collaborator Paige were making conversation. Mostly, they were asking Paige about her interests and favorite types of music and other miscellaneous topics. They discovered that she liked many different types of music and had an open mind to them. The one genre that stood out to her most was rock and alternative, which included some bands like "The Used" and "My Chemical Romance". Paige also told them about her meeting with the up and coming band "Baumer" whose first album would be released in September of that year. She told them about their music, explaining their 'tronic and original music style.

The Gorillaz, not including Murdoc who had left the room for a minute, also found out about her fear of jellyfish after being stung back in Australia, her obsession with Oreos and cookies an' cream ice-cream, the scars on her knees from childhood accidents, and her worship of frizz control hair products. Just as Paige began to tell the story about the time she fell off stage, Murdoc came in holding an arm full of cans. He placed them all on a table. The tall blue and white can read "White Light". 'Where have a I heard of this?", Paige thought but took one anyway.

"Drink up, luvs." Murdoc said, taking a sip of his already open beverage. He stopped mid-slurp and pulled out an apple juice box from his pocket and tossed it to Noodle.

"Don't think I forgot you, Doll." He said and went back to his drink. After seeing both Russel and 2D have some of the drink, Paige came to the decision that it must have been good. She opened the can and downed half of it, not knowing what would come afterwards. Her face cringed up a little and she licked her teeth in an effort to get the tingling sensation out of her mouth. The four others looked at Paige as she did this, even Noodle since she understood the strength "White Light" had on her band mates and fellow friends.

"Whoo! Good stuff!" Paige said, taking a smaller sip of her drink this time. It wasn't long until all four drinkers felt the affects of the alcohol creep up on them. They were laughing for no reason, pointing at each other, and the only sane and sober person was Noodle who just decided that it was getting late and she went to her room. Paige and Murdoc both began to strike up a loud conversation.

"So you got lost in Kong today, Luv, didn't you?"

"Yeah, had a hell of a time. Like a corn maze, it was. Then I had to take a piss so I found the toilets and I also found your monkey playing in the sink." Paige was now sitting very close to Murdoc, a hand on his arm.

"Mike? Yeah, best pal I got. I think 'es got a thing for Noodle but 'ow would I know. Just wondering, what stall did ya go in?" Paige giggled and pocked him in the chest.

"Why would that matter? I think it was, uhh, tw-three. Yes, three. That's what I meant." 2D turned his head around to the conversation after over hearing this. Murdoc burst out in laughter.

"Oh, tha's a good one. Numbe' three, eh? I…" he paused for a second and began doing circular motions with his hand, trying to grasp what he was about to say, " I, I, I did uh, what's his names girl friend in that stall. Wild night, until our oversized drummer decided to smash my face in! Ha! Great story, right?" Murdoc was holding onto his knees with his hand, laughing uncontrollably for no reason. Paige was dead silent. So were the others.

"Uh, Murdoc, tha's not funny. Tha's terrible." 2D put in quietly in his high pitched voice. Murdoc continued to loudly rant.

"It was funny fa meh, tha's who it was funny for." He said giving him a drunken half-punch in the arm. Paige grabbed Stu's arm and gave it a kiss near the place that he had been hit.

"All better. Murdoc wasn't very nice! He's just a drunk bastard." Paige said as she turned to face Murdoc. Suddenly she got up and sat on Murdoc's lap. He grunted at the sudden weight and she wrapped her left arm around the back of his neck. Murdoc put a hand on her thigh and smiled up at her.

"Wot can good ol' Santa Niccals getcha, luv?" Paige made a face as she thought.

"Well, I always wanted a dog, and I always wanted to go sky diving and scuba diving and cliff diving and I also wouldn't mind another drink. Would you mind getting me one?" Murdoc obviously couldn't get the drink since Paige was on top of him and he wasn't about to move. Paige then lifted herself off of Murdoc and made her way over to Russel and gave him a big hug around the neck. She giggled and teetered back and forth on her heals.

"Uh, Paige? Why am I being hugged?" Paige snickered to herself, leaning in to whisper into his ear.

"You smell good."

"Oh, so do you." Everyone was laughing and Paige walked over to 2D, grabbed his hand, and hoisted his long arm in the air.

"I declare this man to have the best teeth in all of England. I mean look at those choppers! Marvelous, no?" She was pulling his mouth open to show the gap where two teeth should have been. She stuck her finger in-between his teeth in the gap and then let go of his face. Paige began to flaunt around, strutting in a circle and then stopping.

"Yanno, these two days have been pretty swell." She began to talk, her speech slurred. "I get thrown into this big ass place, hang out with four famous people, eat your friggen cereal, use your toilets, sleep in your bed," pointing to 2D, "play music, sing songs, eat some more, get drunk as a skunk, and then get to hang out with you guys but I think I mentioned that already. What else can I ask for?" Paige slumped to the floor where she lay on her back with her legs and arms spread out and stared at the ceiling.

It was quiet for a minute and then Paige started again.

"I think it's funny how Murdoc wanted to have sex with me as soon as I got here. I think you still do, Murdoc. I'm not going to fib about it. I'm not surprised if you all want to have sex with me. But, No! Not me! No sex with you or you or you or you or anyone of you, got that! Nope." 2D saluted her.

"Yes, Sir!"

Murdoc on the other hand said nothing, and Russel was already out cold. An hour passed by of more drinking and more fooling around and talking. Paige began to yell out random Aussie insults like "May all ya chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny down.", telling 2D "You're an accident looking for somewhere to happen." And the last thing she said was "Avagoodweegend!" The rest of the night is really unknown or just a big blur.

* * *

The next morning was a different story. The first person to awake with a pounding headache and hangover was Paige, to her own dismay. She and 2D had fallen asleep on the same couch, both packed together on it with 2D's leg dangling off. Murdoc was sleeping in a slumped sitting position, his back rested against the back of the couch. Russel was sleeping in the same chair he had fallen asleep in not that many hours ago.

She got the drive to get up from the couch and she felt her head spin and her sight go starry for only a second. She slowly began to unsteadily walk away towards the corridor. Paige's contacts in her eyes where dry and worn out, sticking to her eyes and her sight blurring out of focus. Continuing towards the lift, she felt a strange tapping on her upper abdomen. She looked down, only to be stared in the face with her shirt tag. 'Why the fuck is my shirt backwards?' she thought but her eye caught sight of two strings that went down her chest. At the end was a gold inverted cross. 'Shit!'

Paige continued to the lift and took it to the basement and 2D's room. Taking what she needed she proceeded to find a shower. After finding it, she stripped of everything; her contacts, Murdoc's crucifix, her alcohol stenched clothes, and the hair band that was holding her curls up. The warmth and the steam felt extremely comforting for Paige, as if she was melting away all the filth and hangover that was afflicting her. After coming out, Paige wrapped herself in a towel, brushed her teeth and wet hair, put her now freshened contacts in, took her things, and proceeded back to 2D's room feeling recharged.

Before Paige could even start to get changed, she saw that her phone was on the floor. It was picked up and put on the night stand. Paige got changed into her clothes and shook her damp hair out, putting anti-frizz cream thoroughly and with expertise. She turned around and saw her phone, deciding that she should check for any calls. Paige took it and flipped it open to see in red letters "One Missed Call: Amy Baby 3". She dialed in the speed dial number and the phone rang on the other side.

"'Ello? Who the fok is callin' meh this early?" said a clearly English woman. Paige smiled when she heard the familiar voice.

"Ams. It's almost noon. It's me. Little Sis." It was quiet on the other side of the conversation. Then it came loudly.

"Paige! Are ya ok, sweety? Oi, sorry for yellin' at ya. I called ya yesterday. How's it goin'?" Paige held the phone at a safe distance as her friend yelled through to her.

"I'm fine, Amy, but I might be deaf now. Yeah, I saw you called so I called you back. I'm sorry I didn't answer. I've had a lot of stuff going on."

"Like wot? Are ya, yanno, where ya said yous was goin'?" Paige nodded to herself.

"Yes, I'm at Kong." Silence once again.

"Are ya gonna be famous?"

"I don't know, but they liked me so I don't really know what's going on."

"Holy Shit! I can't believe it. You and the Gorillaz!" Paige laughed at her friend's enthusiasm but corrected her. "Gorillaz and me, you mean." She continued.

"I'm kinda scared. I don't think I really deserve this all. I'm not even that good, but they all think I am. Not really sure what to do." Amy sighed.

"Listen, sis. They'll keep ya for a reason, if they din't like ya then why keep ya around, right?" Paige didn't respond but instead heard the deep raspy voice of a bassist yelling from the car park.

"Where the bloody fuck is my cross? I'm gonna bash in the bonce of whoever took it." Paige's face cringed at the remark as she looked down at the pile on the floor where the gold cross glimmered. She called out with a hand over the mouth piece of her phone.

"I have it!" She put the phone back to her ear after the exclamation.

"Amy, you still there?" There was no response.

"Amy?"

"Was tha' Murdoc?"

"Uhh, yes." The shriek shot into Paige's ear as Amy jumped up and down on her bed. It took a minute for the Eurasian girl to calm down.

"I'm so jealous of ya, Paige. Get meh a picture, please." Paige rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll try." Amy continued to giggle and scream on the end of the line. Murdoc once again yelled out, this time to Paige.

"Paige? Wot ya say? And why are you in 2D's room?" Paige told Amy to wait for a second, who wasn't really listening anyway. Before she could yell back, she heard the shuffling of bare feet, a yelp of pain, and the sound of someone hitting the floor.

"It was you, you git! Give it back. Think your smart taking my cross, huh dullard?" 2D had walked into the car park at the wrong time and got a nice punch in the gut. Paige's eyes went wide in alarm.

"Uh, Amy I gotta go."

"No, I wanna talk."

"I'll call you later." She heard more yelps and mutters of pain as Murdoc continued to punish the poor man for something he didn't do.

"Jesus! I gotta go."

"Remember to call back and send the picture, ok?"

"Yeah, ok. Love ya. Bye!" Paige hung up, dropped the phone, grabbed the black string of the cross, and ran out the door. There was 2D against the wall, Murdoc pinning him by his shirt and an armed fist about to punch the already bleeding singer.

"What the fuck, Murdoc. I have it!" Paige said as she raised the cross up. Murdoc's grip loosened on 2D and the lanky man fell like a sack of bones. Murdoc walked over with his head down cast, yanked the crucifix from Paige's outstretched hand, and walked away muttering and cursing himself. Paige looked to 2D, who was still sitting on the floor and gave a small cough.

"Aww. D! Are you ok? Here, let me help you up." Paige leaned down, yanking up 2D from under his arms and he wrapped his arms behind her neck, interlacing his fingers as he was lifted. He wobbled a little as he made it all the way to his feet, they still were holding on to each other. Noodle then came in, her fists clenched and her expression showing rage.

"What has Murdoc done to you again?" She said walking over to the two tall persons. Paige took him with her hand behind his back and 2D's arm on her shoulder, supporting him as they slowly walked.

"Don't wowrry. 'e only punched me and kicked me a couple times. I'll be ok." Paige looked at 2D, his nose bleeding and face red.

"Only!?" Noodle went over to help 2D as well, taking him to his room to lie down. After taking his shirt off, the bruising could be seen on his ribs, stomach, and chest but they couldn't see the bruises on his legs from under his jeans. Paige went to get some ice for the bruising, leaving 2D and Noodle alone.

"2D san. I wish that Murdoc will stop hurting you. You have done nothing wrong to him." 2D smiled weakly.

"Yeah, Noodle, I know. He's just cranky from his hang over." They both laughed, even if it hurt for 2D. He smiled for Noodle, not for himself.

"I will have to punish Murdoc for all the times he has hurt you." 2D laughed painfully again.

"You don't have to do tha', luv." Noodle leaned forward and kissed 2D's stomach where most of the bruises were. Then she gave him a light kiss on the forehead.

"Yuuri?"

"Not really. But I'll lie and say it is." They laughed again and then Paige came in with a bag of ice. She placed it on his stomach and 2D winced at the cold and the tenderness.

"Anything I can get you?" she said concerned with the man. He racked his brain for a minute and replied.

"Some pain killers and water to go along wif 'em?" Paige got these things and 2D hungrily swallowed the pills that always seemed to make him feel better as soon as they went down his throat.

The rest of the day was uneventful, 2D stayed in bed and both Noodle and Paige played baby with him, feeding him and bonding along the way. It was a good opportunity for Noodle to become friends with a female human being. 2D was enjoying himself, all the while, having the two girls feeding him and playing wide screen pong with him.


	5. Journey in the Dark

Russel had just put the left over dinner in the fridge when he heard another frustrated yell. Paige and Noodle had been at a game of Pong for almost two hours, pausing it only to eat quickly and run back down to 2D's room in the basement. He sighed, closing the fridge door.

* * *

"Go up! Up! Yes!"

"Mmmm. Ha! Take that!"

"Too easy."

"I'm not trying!"

Paige and Noodle sent the little circle back and forth across the screen. Noodle was in the lead, but Paige wasn't about to give up. The scores were 90 to 84 and the game was going to be played up until 100 points were reached. 2D just sat and watched on as they both made crazed efforts to move their respected rectangles up and down. In the end, Noodle won the game and Paige made a promise to practice and get better. Noodle left the room and said a "good night" as she headed back up the lift.

Paige smiled and sighed, lying down on the bed.

"She's really good, isn't she? Not just at games but she's a good kid, y'know?" 2D smiled as he thought about it. Noodle was a good girl, and she was very talented. She was the little sister that Stu never had and he could always confide in her.

"Yeh, Noodle's just a good person." They both were silent for a minute. They had nothing really to say. It was strange being in a new place with such kind and welcoming people (excluding Murdoc), but Paige felt this out-of-the-ordinary feeling. Possibly guilt? She didn't really know. Paige turned on her side and looked at 2D, who turned his head to look at her. She looked away at first as a reaction to meeting eye contact with him from what she could tell.

"Umm. I just wanted to… to say thanks. For everything. I don't know how to repay you guys for this. I don't even think I deserve to be here." 2D just smiled reassuringly.

"Don't wowry. We all like you, so there's nufink' t' feel bad 'bout, y'know? And your good an' stuff, so tha's always sumfink to 'memba I guess. Don't get sick over it." Paige just laid on her back and sighed again, looking at the ceiling. 'But what if I'm not as good as you make me out to be?' she thought. Paige had a habit of being modest, mostly when people praised her for doing anything well. It was hard taking in the fact that she could work with not just celebrities, but peers, her inspirations. But the question was "When are they going to do recording? There's been no news about it, so why stay if I'm not working?"

Paige stopped her thinking, since it only made things more complicated. She sat up and looked over 2D.

"You feeling any better?"

"I guess I'll be awright. It's just bruises and some scrapes is all."

After hearing this, Paige felt some what better about receiving good news (even if she was certain he wasn't in the best state). She left the room and returned a few minutes later in pajamas and her glasses. It was about twelve thirty but Paige felt tired already. Walking in the room, she noticed that 2D was only in his boxers and was pulling his shirt over his head. Paige now saw the bruises on his legs and knees that she hadn't noticed before. She just wanted to hug the poor man, and that's exactly what she did.

"Um, Paige? Wot's the huggin' for?" 2D whispered as he looked down on her curly and golden hair. She smiled and buried her head under his neck on his collar bone, not noticing the bruise she was pushing on. He didn't say anything about it though, best not to be rude or to let the warm hug go.

"I just thought you needed one and all. Look at you; you're covered in black and blues! My mum always said that 'love is the best medicine'." Paige let go of 2D and went over to her bag. Next to it she saw her cell phone, but didn't think much about it (obviously forgetting her conversation that morning). After putting things away and moving around for a while, she sat on the edge of the bed. 2D took a glass of water and swallowed a few much needed pills.

"Today was kinda long, huh? It might not matter to you, but I'm counted the sheep." She rested her body under the sheets, placing her glasses on the night stand.

"I'm actually pretty tired m'self." Stu replied as he stood watching her blankly. Paige saw his blurred figure and could tell he was looking at her. 2D just stood for a good four seconds, looking at Paige unconsciously. The pause was quite awkward. Paige finally shook her head and buried it in the pillow.

"Then turn the light off and go to bed." 2D didn't react at first but soon did what he was told, even though any other person would have done something so simple without instructions. It was quiet and Paige had just closed her eyes when she heard the high pitched whisper of the man next to her.

"Why'd you 'ave Murdoc's cross this mornin'?" Paige replied with a hummed 'What?'

"Y'know, the whole reason I got beaten t' a pulp."

"Ohh. I don't really know. Just woke up with it on, and my shirt was backwards for some reason. It was … strange. But really, I have no idea how it got around my neck." 2D took the answer and nodded his head, even though Paige couldn't see it. Once again, it was quiet and Paige was closing her eyes and getting comfortable when the sing-song voice came again.

"Do you remember anyfink from las' night?"

"Not that much, why?"

2D paused. "I fink you thought tha' Murdoc wos Kris Kringle, and you grabbed me at one point. Right?" Paige thought about it.

"Hmm. I actually kinda remember that. I did grab you, your mouth to be exact. I think I was making fun of your tongue… maybe?"

"Yeh, my tongue."

It was quiet once again, and Paige was now about to get relaxed when, once again, 2D spoke.

"Paige, do yo…"

"What!? What is it now!? Can I go to sleep!?"

"Err. Emm, Ay ya uh … I, I'm sowrry." 2D replied in a small voice. Paige sighed. 'Why does he have to sound so cute?'

"Sorry, 2D. I'm just tired. Will you PLEASE let me go to sleep?" 2D hummed an 'MmmHmm' and sighed, burying his head in his pillow and trying his best to get some rest. Paige replied with a yawn and a small "Night".

* * *

The silver car drove smoothly down the dark road. It was shady and the only source of illumination was the headlights, giving a view of the long and straight rode ahead. Behind the wheel was Paige, both hands on it, and she had a stone-like emotionless face. In the distance there was a figure of a person, a black shadow that began to grow bigger as the car moved closer. Paige didn't stop or slow down, but only accelerated faster.

The car sped down the road, closing in on the black silhouette. Closer and faster the car approached and Paige's face continued to stare on the road with out a flinch or even a hint of emotion. Then the silhouette came into view to reveal an older teenage boy with spiked dark brown hair and wide green eyes. The terror and shock on his face was illuminated by the car lights, but the boy didn't move an inch. Paige didn't even make any effort to stop the car from hurtling into the teen. She didn't even seem to care she was about to hit her dear friend, Greg, with the front of a car.

At impact, blood splattered the windshield and Greg's face was pushed against the glass. This was all right in front of Paige, who still held her solid and blank expression. Hitting the brakes, the boy's body went hurtling forward toward the pavement with a sickening thud. The lean woman sat still, looking uncomprehendingly at the crimson windshield, took the door handle, and exited the vehicle.

The broken and disheveled body of Greg lay on the floor. Paige peered over the body, looking at the blood, cuts, and skid markings on the friend. Her left eye let one tear escape; the salty water ran down her face and dripped off her chin. As soon as the water touched the ground, the asphalt disintegrated and sizzled forming a gapping hole. The ground crumbled beneath the two and the cracked pavement was about to give way. Paige gave an eerily wide and cynical grin and a horrifying laugh was heard.

Then the floor gave way and everything went black as she fell into an infinite abyss. The laugh echoed on in the darkness.

* * *

She awoke, panting and sweating, grasping the sheets with white knuckles. Paige's other hand held at her chest in an effort to slow down her breath and heart beat. These dreams always haunted her. Almost once a week, the horrible image would come again and the false but terrifying focus of, "I murdered Greg, and I didn't think twice about it." But it never made sense to Paige why she had the dreams. It didn't matter; it wasn't like she could stop them. Getting herself out of the bed, Paige felt her throat was dry. She searched for her glasses on the night stand she had put them on but couldn't find them.

"Shit." She whispered under her breath. Paige gave up and stumbled blindly and with terrible vision out of the room. After taking the lift (she wasn't even sure what number she had pressed) she walked into the car park (which she didn't know exactly was the car park). Her feet patted against the chill cement floor as she walked towards some kind of object. Paige felt along the outside of the object, which could have possibly been a wall. But it was no wall. That's when she found a handle of some kind.

Murdoc was sitting at his table in the Winnebago's makeshift kitchen, reading some article in a month old magazine. He slugged another sip of beer and placed in on the table, also putting his feet up. There was a sound, a tapping one that encircled the vehicle. Murdoc didn't think of it at first, until he heard tugging on the door handle.

"Hhmm… Who could that be?" he swaggered over to the door, pulled it open and was greeted to Paige falling on the steps like a sack of potatoes.

"Fuck! Oww! What the …" She looked up the see the blurred outline of a man.

Leather Cuban boots. Dirty Jeans. Shirtless. Greasy black mop-top.

Murdoc.

"Uhh … What am I doing here?" Paige asked, looking up at the Satanist. Murdoc looked down at her. He blinked.

"I wos 'bout to ask you the same. Y'know, get up, get up. Come in, come on!" He hoisted the woman off the floor and closed the door. Leading her to sit down, Murdoc picked up his beer and took another swig of it.

"So, luv, wot brings you 'ere?" Paige squinted in an effort to see her speaker's face better but failed in doing so.

"I just had a bad dream is all. I was thirsty so I got up and now, once again, I'm lost."

"Again? We really go'to get you a map of the place."

"More like a seeing eye dog. I couldn't find my glasses so everthin's all blurred." Murdoc sat next to her and put his hand in front of her face.

"How many fingers am I holdin' up?" Paige made a "how stupid can you be" face.

"When you're that close, I think a blind person could answer that question. Four."

Murdoc backed away, holding his hand up and farther away.

"How many now?"

"Three."

He moved back some more.

"Two."

Murdoc stepped back for the last time. Paige couldn't tell exactly how many fingers he had up, but she was sure it was less than four. Squinting, she had a better idea. Her face became angry.

"Hey, flipin' the bird, huh? Two can play at that game!" Paige flung up her hand, middle finger standing tall. Murdoc chuckled.

"Yeh, 'Fuck me' I know." He turned around and picked a pair of jeans off the floor, his rear facing towards Paige. She snickered.

"I can see your brickies cleavage from here, too. Wish I hadn't."

"Wot?"

"Your arse crack, Murdoc. I can see your arse."

"Did you like it?"

Paige was flustered and blushed.

"… No."

"That's what I thought ya ought t' say." Murdoc sat himself down and grabbed the almost empty beer from the table. Mid-sip he stopped to look at Paige who looked on at him holding the drink to his lips. Her throat was still dry and lips chapped.

"Need anythin'?" Paige shook herself from the sleepy and thirst driven trance.

"Uhh. I'm parched. Maybe somethin' to drink." Murdoc got up and walked over to the small fridge, peering in to get a drink.

"Water?"

"Yeah. That's good. Thanks heaps." Taking the water bottle from Murdoc's hand, Paige opened it eagerly and drank about a fourth of it. It was quiet for a minute. Murdoc sat himself down across from Paige, the wooden plank of a table between them.

"Wot was this dream 'bout?" Paige crossed her arms on the table, an elbow in each hand. Her head was turned to the side.

"It was a nightmare, no dream. I… it … was nothing really." Murdoc leaned forward.

"Really? And this nothin' nightmare woke ya up? I'd say i's more than tha'." Looking up, the Australian sighed. Shaking her head she mumbled under her breath.

"I don't usually talk to people about this stuff so take this as somethin' spiffy, 'k? It's just this thing where I kill a friend of mine. Usually it ends in this horrible way." Murdoc looked at her in some interest.

"And it's the same thing; I'm driving and I see him but I don't stop. I don't even think to stop, as if I want to kill him. The worst is the end. It changes every once and a while. Sometimes I get out of the car, while other times I just drive right over the body. I don't understand why I have these dreams."

"So you killed Greg in your nightmare?" Paige nodded, but then shot her head up with wide eyes.

"How did you know it was Greg?"

"I was lis'nin' when you told us about 'im. I guess the dreams are 'bout guilt, y'know. Like, maybe i's something about before 'e died. Hmm, I don't know. How did the dream end this time?" There wasn't an answer right away, but Paige got her voice back even if she was a little shaky.

"The ground fell apart and I was laughin' in this crazy and hysterical way. Then the floor fell beneath us and we disappeared." Murdoc looked at her face and studied how she said this. He thought for a minute, scratching at his chest hair. Then he pointed at her and gave his opinion.

"Your feelin' trapped in some way, luv. And by coverin' it ain't makin' it better. I got a feelin' this guy wos really somethin' t' ya."

He had read her mind and she was shocked. Paige gawked at his for a minute and tried to defend her self.

"What are you? Telling me what my dreams mean? … Oh, wait. Your soul belongs to the devil; I should expect more of someone like that." The bassist raised an eyebrow under his mop-top.

"Who's does your soul belong t'?" Paige laughed. God, of course. But she didn't tell the Satanist this.

"No one. Even though Richey thought it did."

"Richey?" Paige cursed herself in her mind. 'Why would I mention him? Oh yeah. I was covering up for the whole 'God' thing.'

"My –ex. The dick! Cheated on me, but was actually happy when I found out. It eased me up a bit to know that I really hadn't lost anything but a whacker."

"So wot kept you with 'im in the first place?"

"I'm not even sure. We really never agreed on anything. It was always a battle with him to make a decision. We'd fight and yell and scream, and than an hour later we'd be pashing on and you know the rest. 'You' obviously know the rest." Murdoc chuckled.

"And I thought you were a virgin. 'ow old are you, twenty…?"

"One. And no, I'm not a virgin. Haven't been since I was seventeen." Murdoc lifted his eye brows again.

"Mmmhh. Illegal, in the States if I'm right. So who was the lucky guy to get you going?" Paige's face went pale to red.

"Murdoc! Ugh, how did we get to this subject?" Murdoc laughed again. He was enjoying her frustration.

"Just answer the question, luv." Paige buried her mouth in her arms.

"Youalreadyheardofhim."

"Wot?"

"We were just talking about him."

"That dick?"

"No. The other one." There was a pause. Murdoc just looked at the young woman while she just blankly stared at the table. She noticed all the writing and carvings in it, trying to erase the words she just said that were echoing in her head. Trying to erase the fact that she had told him one of her precious secrets.

It made sense now. Paige said that Greg had died a few years back when she was seventeen. She must have had sex with him not long before he died, meaning they had something going on together. They possibly were more than friends. Or maybe she had sex with a ghost? Murdoc stopped his mind from wondering too far. It was hard to think of something to say. The silence was eerie and agitating to the bassist's ears. He had to think of something to say.

"Sooo, you like bassists?" Paige's jaw dropped, her eyes widened, and she gave him a death glare.

"You! Ww… Why wwould you say somethin' like that?"

"Was it even good sex?" Paige's face reddened more.

"I don't really remember. I was pretty drunk, actually. I want to say it was good: It was my first time, it should have been! I just remember waking up with him wrapped around me and I felt so secure and safe. It was a pretty awkward situation. He had liked me the minute he saw me. I think that was when I started in the new American school in 7th grade. We were really close friends, and getting that close was what we needed, I guess." Murdoc sighed.

"Thanks for all the mushy lovey pink shit. So how many others have you shagged?" Paige was flustered at the question but thought to herself 'He's not going to lay off on this. Might as well just tell him. Not like it would matter, anyway.'

"I think three. Well how about you?" Murdoc just looked at her with a sneaky face and Paige really couldn't tell until she moved a bit closer.

"Oh. Why the hell would I ask you that? You're a bike, everyone gets a ride. I doubt your counting" Murdoc took her hand in his, giving her a seductive eye and a tug at her wrist.

"Well I'm a well made bike, tha's for sure. Could be all those skanks plus one if you wouldn't mind to take a joy ride." Paige pulled her hand away and her face was red and hot again.

"Umm, no thanks. Don't want to know what vile things reside in your daks." Murdoc laughed maleficently.

"You're a funny one! Don't worry, luv, I'll grow on ya." Paige laughed. Why argue with him? She left the conversation at that.

They both continued to talk about each other's respected bands. They found some things in common, like their own interest in grunge, metal, and dark music.

"Y'know wot I, like, always felt was amazing? Tha' screamo shit where the people are all like 'Rawr rawr rawr! Fuck you, motha fucka, DIE!'. Right?"

Paige nodded her head in agreement. She smiled.

"Hey, Murdoc. Can I knock your socks off for a sec'?"

"Yeh, Paige. Go for it."

"I can do that whole screamo thing." Murdoc shook his head and chuckled. Paige looked at him confused.

"What?"

"I don't believe you." Paige slammed her palms on the table, standing up.

"I'll prove it to you! Give me something to say." Murdoc scratched his chin as he thought of something for her to say. He snapped his fingers as he got the idea.

"Murdoc is God." Paige rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but it's not gonna sound that good. It's been years since I've done it." He just nodded. Paige cleared her throat and made some strange noises.

She looked at him for a second and nervously asked him, "Murdoc, can you turn around? I really hate when people see my face when I do this." Murdoc turned to the side.

"I'm not looking, and I'm still waiting." Paige cleared her throat one more time, gave a little cough, and then began the scream.

"WOooohhh! MuuurdooociiiissGooooooood!"

The Satanists was practically knocked off his ass.

"Sweet Satan! I didn't think you 'ad it in ya!" Paige coughed again, rubbing her throat. She grabbed her water and had a sip of it.

"Me either. I really haven't done that in a while. Hopefully I didn't wake anyone up."

"Uhh, no Paige. This thing is practically sound proof. Maybe even bullet proof." Murdoc replied, knocking on the wall. Paige noticed bullet holes in the wall a foot away from Murdoc's hand.

"So what's with the bullet holes? I thought it was bullet proof?"

"Ohh, these. I did that. There was a walkin' dead bloke in 'ere so I blew 'is block to bits." Paige made a disgusted face.

"Sounds like the bee's knees."

It was about five in the morning now. Murdoc hadn't slept at all but it didn't matter since he had slept all day. Paige, on the other hand, had been up most of the day and was lacking in the sleep department. She yawned with a hand over her face, trying to hide the fact that she was tired. This failed though and Murdoc noticed her fatigue. 'Maybe I should bring 'er back to the dullard?', Murdoc thought but the after thought was, 'Why would I want to do that?'. Paige buried her face in her crossed arms on the table, falling asleep.

"Luv, you can't sleep on the table."

"Why not?", came the sleepy and muffled reply. Murdoc walked over to her side and helped get her standing. He led her to his bed and she stumbled and struggled to open her eyes. When she did and she saw the bed, some life came back to her mostly fear driven.

"Nonononono! I'm not sleeping with you!" Paige pushed herself away from Murdoc and smashed face first into the wall after turning away.

"Oww!" Paige fell at the impact and Murdoc couldn't help laughing, but lent a hand for her to get up off the floor and sat her on the bed's edge.

"I'm not bleedin', em I?" Paige asked as she poked her sore nose. Murdoc rested his hand under her chin, tilting her face up and got closer to get a better look at her nose.

"Nope, no blood." Murdoc was standing above Paige and still held her chin in his callused fingers. Their faces were closer than comfort (for Paige, anyway) and Murdoc just looked over her face and smiled when he found her delicate pink lips, slightly parted to reveal the tips of her white teeth. Very tempting.

"Paige. If you'd kiss me now, this would be like one of those chick-flick film scenes."

Paige didn't move away at this strangely. She was tired and the warmth of his fingers was comforting in a bizarre way. 'Murdoc' and 'comforting' were two words that you rarely heard together. Murdoc slowly pulled her closer by her chin but Paige reacted by pulling away; something she should have done after Murdoc had even said 'kiss'. Murdoc grunted and disappointedly walked away. 'Should 'ave expected tha'.'

Paige just sat awkwardly on the bed. 'Was I about to …? No, I wouldn't have wanted to … That's just … I mean it's Murdoc! But … what just happened there? Paige! You're loosing it!' Shaking the thoughts out of her head, the Aussie looked to the spot where Murdoc was standing, lighting a fag and puffing out a cloud of smoke. Paige sighed in frustration, yawned from tiredness, and struggled to get her words out.

"Mu, Murdoc? I'm just gonna sleep, ok? I can sleep on the couch since I …"

"Just sleep there. It's alright."

Paige listened to what he said; she was tired and not really thinking. The bed was tempting. Lying down, she looked out to see Murdoc pacing back and forth in the kitchen. Then her eye lids felt heavy, putting Paige into a peaceful sleep.

Her eyes opened to a hazy darkness and a small amount of light shone through a window of some kind. Paige half opened her eyes and started to remember where she was, mostly do to the stench of smokes, booze, and a forty year old sex machine. The woman shot up in the bed, and threw the sheets up in the air. She checked her whole body. 'Shit! Shit! Shit! Pants, underwear, shirt; good. No visible bruising or pain; even better.' She sighed in relief, forcing her limbs to move her out of the bed and into the kitchen.

Looking around, she noticed that Murdoc wasn't there. Paige searched around the kitchen, checked the bathroom, and looked back in the room. She noticed a black mass on top of the driver's seat. At first, she suspected it was Cortez, but moving closer she was sure it wasn't. Paige stood next to the seat now, looking at a slumped, heavily breathing, and sleeping Murdoc.

Paige sat at the kitchen table, not really thinking or looking at anything. It was hard to see when everything was a big blur. Paige hated not being able to see and just wanted to find her glasses or put in her contact lenses. It was about twenty minutes of sitting that Paige decided to wake up the sleeping man. She shook his shoulder, whispering his name. This didn't work so she shook him harder and said his name louder. This didn't work either, so Paige really got a hold of him and yelled into his ear. Murdoc abruptly woke up and bumped his forehead right into Paige's.

"Fuck!"

"Oww!"

"Wot the hell are you doing, ya git!?"

"I'm not a git! God, Murdoc. Sorry I had to wake you up. I just kinda want to get out of this rat's nest." Murdoc rubbed his sore head and rubbed his eyes of the morning fuzz as well.

"Alright. Let's get you the hell out of 'ere." Both of them exited the Winnebago and Murdoc led Paige into the right direction. It didn't even take a minute until they got to a door that read, "Sod off 2-D!" in bright painted letters. Opening the door, Murdoc led Paige down the narrow spiraling stairs to 2D's room. They stopped at the door and just stood in the darkness for a minute.

"Paige …"

"Thanks, Murdoc. Uhh. See you later I guess." Paige quickly grabbed for the door and slipped into the room, closing the entrance behind her and fully separating herself from Murdoc.

Murdoc's face was drenched in frustration and confusion. He walked back to the car park, thinking about what happened a few hours ago. It seemed that this girl was either really thick headed or just not fazed by his natural charm. As he laid on the bed, throwing darts at the ceiling he thought the same thought over and over again in his head.

"I should of just fucked her while she was sleeping."

* * *

**Hey, This is FIM as you might know. The author of "Ants on Life Support". I just wanted to say thanks for anyone who is reading this but I'm also going to ask you a favor. Can I get at least 2 or 3 comments on the story before i post the next chapter? I don't care if it is a critique or a compliment but I'm only asking for 2 or 3. I'm not saying i wont post the next chapter, but a lack of c&c might cause the next chapter to be pushed back. This is an experiment to see if people are actually reading to story, and if they are, do they enjoy it. Peace!**

***F*I*M*  
**


	6. New day, New night

Paige closed the door behind her as quickly as possible. She leaned against it and waited until she heard Murdoc's Cuban heels tap away and up the stairs. She was like a plank on a wall as she waited there frozen until she heard the creaking of the car park door from above. Letting out the breath she was holding in, Paige sighed and walked over through the mess of a room to the nightstand where the digital clock was. 9:40. Not that early, and not extremely late. It was an alright time for Paige. She sat on the edge of the bed and shot back up at the feel of something strange under her bottom.

Looking down, she saw a fuzzy view of 2D's hand. 2D now began to wake up at the sudden sitting on his hand. Paige watched him turn over and scratch at his messy blue hair. He groaned and threw his hands in the air, stretching out his stiff back and joints. Paige sat on the bottom corner of the bed and waited for the azure singer to come to his senses. Instead, his foot ended up following a trajectory straight towards the back of Paige's head. She let out a shout of surprise and pain as she dropped to the floor and 2D jumped up in shock and looked around his surroundings wildly trying to decode his actions. His eyes met Paige who was on the floor rubbing the back of her sore head. How much pain could she endure in only a few hours?

"Oh, 'ello Paige. I fink I hit you." He dumbly looked down at the woman totally oblivious and confused on why she was on the floor. She turned her head around and glared at him for a second. His expression changed from tiredness to innocent shock as if asking, 'Who? Me?'

"No kidding!" she mumbled to herself now saying, "I'm always the one in the wrong place at the wrong time." 2D got out of the bed and walked over to her side.

"I'm sorry. Do you want sum… uh… sumfink?"

Paige shook her head and smirked at the half witted question. 2D wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and Paige understood that, but it was particularly funny to see him in the morning where his mind was practically as dense as granite. She placed a hand over the man's own large and boney ones reassuringly and gave him a mediocre and sarcastic smile along with a response to fit.

"I'm just chipper! I woke up at three in the morning, found myself in Mu…", She stopped herself for some reason before she could even begin to tell 2D where she had gone. Maybe it was because she was afraid of what he would think of her, or maybe because she was embarrassed for even going there herself. But she continued, "… Well, I didn't get much sleep is all. And I can't see anything and I… I… well, you get the point. Right?"

2D nodded in agreement. "I can' see, eiver. When you ge' your 'ead smashed in an' your eyes smooched back inta your brain I guess tha' makes seein' 'arder." Paige laughed at 2D. He really was funny, even when he wasn't trying to. It was easy to laugh in front of him because he didn't mind (or didn't understand… or notice?) but Paige liked to have someone that she could be herself around. She patted his hands and started to get up.

"You wanna help me?"

"Help you wot?"

"Find my glasses."

Stu got himself up and walked over to the nightstand, pulled the drawer open, and extracted a pair of black rimmed glasses. Paige stomped over to him and grabbed the glasses out of his hand.

"You hid them from me?"

"Nnnot rwealy. They fell owff the table so I just put 'em in the drawer fo' safe keepin'." 2D stammered as he watched Paige put them on. She put her hands in the air and dramatically twirled around.

"I have been given the gift… of sight!"

"Your welcome." The singer sheepishly replied. Paige laughed again. It was a pretty good start for the day; she could only hope that it would stay that way. (But you know that I won't allow that. Mwahahha!)

* * *

To Paige's surprise, the day in Kong was pretty normal, almost boring in her opinion but she couldn't complain. The only complaint she could make was about the heat since all the others found it a problem as well. 2D and Paige had been lounging around, listening to music and talking about nothing in particular. Paige looked over 2D for the first time. She had a critical eye and watched how he moved in an awkward way and picking up that he was left handed, but her eyes stopped at his hair. She pondered on the question, "What is with that blue hair?" but she didn't ask at first. 2D just went on explaining the time he had fell down the stairs all the way from the top exclaiming, "I flew like a bird, or sumfink." Paige wasn't really listening but entranced by the singers blue hair. Why?

"2D?"

He looked at her with full attention.

"Yeh, Paige."

"How is that hair of yours blue? I can't figure it out."

As she said it, 2D instinctively ran a hand through his blue and spiky hair. He gave an embarrassed laugh. Paige loved how cute and innocent he looked, just like a puppy or some other kind of candid creature.

"Well, i's all natural if you were wonderin'. It happened when I was 'bout 'leven an' I was wif my dad. I wanted t' show 'im tha' I could climb a tree. Y'know, manliness or sumfink. And one way or anover I fell from the tree an' bounced down on m' 'ead." Paige just smile and listen to him tell his story thinking, "Not much has changed since then I guess." He continued the story.

"The doctors said I'd be good t' go so I went home and the next day… all m' bloody 'air was gone!" Paige was now laughing, her hand over her mouth and the other crossed over her abdomen. She laughed but waved her hand at 2D saying, "Go on. Go on." through each laugh. And he did.

"So I went runnin' down to my mum screamin' and cryin' sayin' 'Wot's happenin' t' me, mum? I'm too young t' die!'. So she checked me over, said I was fine and after a few day my 'air started growin' back. Except it was blue, but I never questioned it 'cause my mum said I was fine." Paige was calming down from her laughing fit.

As she composed her self, she replied, "That still makes no sense, but it's a better explanation than none." 2D just nodded. Her eyes once again roamed over the man in front her and unexpectedly, she met eye contact with his crotch. She blushed and hated to think it but she did. "I wonder…"

"2D."

He once again responded without hesitation, totally unaware of what her next question was.

"Well, umm, I was uhh wondering if… if the, uhhm, how should I put this? I just wanted to know if… therugmatchedthedrapes?" 2D was perplexed and his face read "Wot?" as if a rubber stamp had been imprinted on his face in big red letters. She rubbed her temples, now giving a nervous laugh.

"Haha, just… forget I ever was here."

"But, Paige, you can't do tha'. You asked a question an' I wan' t' answer it." She sighed and tried to ask again.

"Y'know. Does the rug match the drapes?" Empty stare. "The collar match the cuffs." Another blank stare. It was getting frustrating now. Paige's face was red and her eyes drifted down to that dreaded spot on the man in front of her. 2D actually caught this and his eyes widened as he looked down at his pant crotch as well, thinking that something was wrong. Maybe his pant zipper was open, but that wasn't the case. When he looked up, Paige swiftly looked away.

"Ooooh! I see. You wanna know if I'm blue **there**." Paige's palm collided with her forehead and she muttered a yes, her face still burning.

"Yeh, I am." He paused, pulled the front of his pants forward and looked down. "Yep, definitely blue." Paige threw her hands in the air, exclaiming at 2D as he pulled back.

"You had to check? Don't you know already?" 2D just looked up at her wide eyed then he darted them back and forth around the room out of nervousness. His face was pinkining as she stood over him. He held the waist band of his pants again saying, "If you don't believe me you can…"

"No! I don't want to see down your under daks!"

"Oh." 2D lifted the hem of his shirt and Paige looked at the man sideways. "Does this guy ever take a hint?" she thought with a raised eyebrow.

"Now what are you doing?" 2D looked at her innocently and replied.

"You said you didn't want t' see in my pants so I'll jus' show you the li'le on my belly button. See, blue!". Paige cautiously moved closer and to her surprise, it was blue. She put her hand out but stopped.

"Can I…"

"Touch?" Paige's face couldn't get any redder and it seemed that 2D was barely fazed mostly because he wasn't seeing this at all sexual. Paige, on the other hand, was smarter then the singer and felt pretty strange in the situation. But what led her hand to touch the blue hair on his flat stomach was never really known. That's exactly when Murdoc walked in to find 2D, practically reclined on the couch holding his shirt up a bit and Paige leaning over him with her hand near the hem of his jeans. It looked **very** sexual from that point of view.

"Wot the hell's this rubbish?" Murdoc commented from the door frame. Paige shrieked in shock at the sudden voice and flung herself to stand straight up, stiff as a board.

"It… i… It's nothing! Absolut-leee nothing! Right 2D?" Paige said waving a hand at the unaware Stu-Pot behind her but never turned or left eye contact with Murdoc, who was looking over Paige's actions. "Pathetic." He thought as he watched her painstaking efforts. It wasn't working, except to make Murdoc more suspicious and highly entertained. Before 2D could respond to Paige, Murdoc cut in.

"Yeh, dullard. Wot **were **you and the little koala doin'?"

Paige gawked at this statement and inwardly shouted "Koala? What the fuck!?" and she continued to stay standing there as straight as a soldier. 2D responded with such innocence and naivety that it hurt.

"Paige wanted t' know if my pubic 'air wos blue."

The faces in the room ranged from bazaar to indifferent. 2D sat on the couch as if he had said the simplest thing like, "I walked the dog." instead of one of the strangest phrases one could say, Paige's face (as you can now imagine) was cherry red and the expression was of shock and disbelief, and Murdoc, oh Murdoc, had the widest and wickedest grin from ear to ear. He couldn't help but laugh, and Paige nervously tried to defend herself in anyway but couldn't get the words to form. Murdoc finally could get a hold of his voice through out the laughter.

"I knew you could be naughty! It just had t' come out, luv. It jus' had t'! Ohh, this is great!"

The Aussie was now getting more and more frustrated and angry at this. It was going too far, mostly because the whole situation was awkward and she knew that she had put herself in it. Time to get the hell out of it!

"Murdoc! Listen to me. I don't know anyone who wouldn't be a little curious as to someone with natural blue hair. I mean, it's **blue!** How many people do you know with natural blue hair?"

"One." Murdoc replied and the room was quiet.

It seemed that the tension had gone away. Murdoc didn't like this; he wanted to start the tension again. But how…? Just as Paige was about to leave the room, Murdoc called her name. As she turned around, he gave a lusty pose pulling on the hem of his dirty jeans to extend the line of black hair that ran down his belly button into the unknown.

"Wanna check me?" He said in a deep and seductive voice. Paige turned around so quickly, you could swear there was a risk of whip lash.

"No! It's BLACK!" and she stormed out of the room as fast as her long legs would allow her. Murdoc stood there smirking, pulling up his pants a little. 2D, who seemed like a mute for the last few minutes, finally let out a peep. Maybe he shouldn't have.

"Y'know, Murdoc. You're just a pervy old man."

A hand smashed into his face in less then a millisecond.

* * *

"Alright, Paige-san. We are almost there."

"I hope so. I'm starting to get scared. Where are we going?"

"You'll see. It is a surprise so no peeking."

"I got it, no peeking. It's not like I have a choice, especially with this blind fold."

Noodle was leading Paige through the halls of Kong by her wrist, the three men in pursuit. This had been going on for about three minutes already and Paige was getting nervous as to where she was being taken. "She better not throw me out of the place." She thought at they rounded the corner. Paige heard the higher pitched and Japanese accented voice from the teen in front of her.

"Only a few more feet."

"Thank God!"

Murdoc grunted at the remark, but Paige ignored it. "Better not let him get to my head. That's what he's trying to do." she thought as they came to a stop. A door creaked open and she was pulled forward once again. They walked a few steps and then stopped. Russel put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're here. You can take the blind fold off if you want now." Paige didn't take it off at first and just stood there. 2D, who hadn't noticed that the blind fold was still on, exclaimed in a loud voice…

"SurpriIIEEeeooow!"

… only to be, once again, abused by Murdoc. But this time, there was a reason (if you call stopping someone from ruining a surprise with your fists a good reason). Russel looked at the Australian for a second.

"Something wrong?"

"I'm scared?." She replied sheepishly as is asking a question, mostly because she was unsure of why she hadn't taken the clothe off of her eyes yet. Murdoc grabbed the knot on the back of the blindfold and yanked it off the top of her head. Paige was about to turn around and grab at the blind fold for some reason but stopped when she saw what was in front of her.

It was a room. A large plain room with a small bed that looked ridiculous compared to the size of the room but, non-the-less, it was a room. Paige looked around. The walls were a plain pale green and the ceiling was white. The floor had a large black rug that covered most of the ground. The bed, as said before, was small compared to the spacious room so you can only imagine the extra space. There were a few dressers and draws and a chair. It was simple, plain, not well furnished, but it was a room none-the-less. Paige just pointed to herself.

"This… is for me?" They all nodded in response and Russel came up to her.

"Sorry it couldn't be ready sooner. There was a lot of clutter in here that needed to be cleaned out first." Paige put her hand to her chest and looked at everyone in the room (which wasn't much).

"Wait. This is for me? I'm actually staying here? I… don't know what to say! Thank you so much." She embraced Russel, Noodle, and 2D but Murdoc stopped her.

"Don't look at me. I 'ad nothing t' do with this."

"You're letting me stay here, though. It is your studio, isn't it?"

"Well, yeh. I just …" Paige hugged him anyway. Paige soon went around the room, and with help from Russel, Noodle, and 2D she brought all her things to the room.

* * *

That night, Paige went to bed like any other night except for the fact that it wasn't 2D's room anymore, it was her own. Room 11. She took a shower that night, brushed her teeth, took out her contacts, moisturized her face and skin and put on pajamas for bed; an oversized white tee-shirt and boxer shorts. After getting into the bed, she realized that she was alone for the first time in a while. She fell asleep, but not for long. The creature crawled its way through the shadows of the room, coming closer to the bed. It crept its way to the side of the bed and it took a hold of a skinny ankle. The shadowy being crawled its way onto the bed, leaning over Paige. Paige was woken by the pressure being put on her body and as she turned to see what it was, she was shocked in what she found.

The face was a sickly grey color and the skin was barely holding onto the visible bones. The eyes seemed not to fit correctly in their sockets and its mangled teeth shown through the cracked lips. It was a living dead, a zombie, and it was no more than a foot away from Paige's face. Her first reaction was absolutely nothing. The shock had gotten to her in such a way that she couldn't move but as she got feeling back she screamed and franticly battled her way out from under the zombie. In the darkness it was hard to see, but she made a mad scramble off the bed and thudded to the floor. Her eyes were wide as she furiously back peddled on her elbows trying as hard as she could to get away from the dark figure. It suddenly jumped down from the bed and started to stalk towards Paige.

She got herself off the floor and dashed the other way, only to trip over her tall black and red bag. Falling on top of hard metal, she turned around. The zombie was approaching faster now, too fast for her to even think. Paige didn't need to think though, her body reacted. She grabbed the handle of her larger fencing weapon as she rose to stand and as the shadowy zombie lunged towards her, a terrible cracking and gushing sound omitted in the darkness. Paige stood in the shadows in total disarray and shock, feeling the weight at the end of her blade, the twitching and spasms coming from the zombie it was dislodged in. Her body went cold, her hands shook but she didn't for one second let go of the handle. The silence was frightening and then Paige did the only thing that her body would allow her to. She opened her mouth and let out the loudest scream that her lungs could possibly surrender.

* * *

The scream practically shook the house, meeting the ears of Russel and Noodle first, being as they were on the same floor. Noodle was the first person up and prepared for any action. She dashed down the corridors and towards the door with 11 on it and flung it open, flicking on the lights. Russel came rushing behind her but stopped as he looked in at what was inside the room. Paige was standing, weapon withdrawn but the point had gone through the zombie's eye and out the other side of its head. The white shirt she wore was covered in stale dark blood and stinking brain residue that was now leaking from the zombies head and onto the floor. Her eyes were wide and unfocused on the small body of the child zombie that she had impaled with her own bare hands. She couldn't believe what she had done, she couldn't think, she couldn't move. All she could do was hope that it was all a bad dream and nothing more.

Noodle and Russel stood in the doorway, unsure of how to react to this. It wasn't long until more footsteps were heard. Murdoc came grumbling and complaining but was stopped from entering the room by the drummer's large hand. The complaints suddenly stopped as the bassist now looked into the room. It was no longer than two seconds before 2D came from the corridor and stood in the doorway with the rest of his band mates. It was quiet for over a minute and nothing was said or done. They just looked at the stained woman before them holding a sword that was going through a child's head.

"Paige-san?"

Noodle gently and delicately called her name from the door. Paige turned her head almost robotically towards the four in the door way. It was scary, or better to say, **she** was scary to see so unlike her usual and happy self. They all looked wide eyed and fearfully at her as she blankly looked towards them. Paige fell to her knees, dropping the weapon from her grasp and slowly inched away from the officially dead corpse of the little boy before her. They watched as she pulled her knees to her chest and cowered in the corner.

Russel slowly and cautiously walked toward the distressed woman and crouched down to her side. Paige's eyes stared emptily at the green wall before her face and didn't even look to the big New Yorker next to her. He went to touch her arm, but she pulled herself away and pushed closer into the wall. He tried again and wrapped his arms around her. The drummer felt the beat of her heart moving incredibly fast, felt the shacking of her body, and then the sobs that emitted from her. Paige fell into his chest and cried her salty tears onto Russel as he held her closer to him. They stayed like this for a few minutes as Paige released all the fear, shock, and stress that she had just gone through. It took a while for her to calm down enough that Russel could talk to her.

"Com'on, Paige. Let's get you out of here." There was a pause before Paige eerily and quietly answered in a spine-chilling whisper.

"I killed him. I killed that little boy. I didn't mean to. I killed him." Russel brought her in again, squeezing her tight to him.

"It's ok. Your ok."

"But I killed him, I …"

"The thing wos fuckin' dead already!" Murdoc shouted out from the door. Russel ignored him, and Noodle gave him a glare. It took some convincing but Paige finally got her act together and was able to get up and out of the room. Noodle grabbed some extra cloths from her bag and Paige's glasses and brought them to her in the corridor.

Paige sat in the lobby, listening to the band mates discussing what to do with her.

"She obviously isn't going to sleep in that room anymore."

"Where can she go, Russel-san? She is noticeably distressed and she should not be alone."

"You're right, Noods. I don't fink i' would be a good idea. 'specially if others got in."

"I think the egg 'ead is right. Paige shouldn't be alone. You know tha' I can watch her, I could **definitely** watch her."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Murdoc. Maybe she could go back in D's room for the night."

"Yes. I believe that it would be best if she did."

"Wot!? Wot's wrong with me!?"

"Everything, man! I don't trust you alone with a twenty one year old woman that is suffering from shock. We know that Paige is comfortable sleeping in 2D's room so I think she'll be fine."

"Yeh, Muds. I 'm prefec'ly capable of making sure she's awright."

"Let's go, Paige-san. Let's get clean cloths on you."

Noodle held her hand out to Paige but she didn't respond except to look up at Noodle. The fifteen year old reassuringly smiled to the woman in an effort to lighten the atmosphere. Paige slowly and shakily took the hand and was led to Noodle's room where she got changed. At this time, Murdoc and Russel had made their ways back to bed and 2D waited in the lobby for Paige and Noodle. After escorting Paige down the hall and handing her over to 2D, Noodle also returned to bed to try and catch some sleep. The two lanky characters made their way to the basement, and along the way 2D just talked in an effort to keep Paige's mind from thinking about what had happened about twenty minutes ago.

In the room, 2D locked the door to make sure that no zombies could enter into the room. Laying down in the dark it was quiet. Paige had a feeling she wasn't going to fall asleep but as she lay awake she heard heavy breathing.

"2D?"

"Yeh."

"Are you ok?"

"MmmHmmm. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. You were breathing all weird." There was a pause.

"I'm not breathin' weird. Sure you're not hearing fings?"

"Yeah. Sure." Once again, there was silence but the strange breathing came again.

"You're doing it again, 2D."

"Doin' wot?"

"Don't play stupid! I can hear you and it's scaring me. Stop making those noises!"

"Noises? I thought that was you." They stopped talking and the breathing noise came again, louder than before.

"Tha' wasn't me."

"Wasn't me either."

Paige grabbed for the lamp and pulled the string. Turning around she saw the upside-down face and upside-down body of a zombie peering over the bed with its body contorted over the head banister. Paige started to scream and flail furiously, pushing 2D and herself away from the creature.

"HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY… OH MY GOD! 2D!" As soon as 2D saw the zombie, he began to do the same thing until they both simultaneously tumbled off the sides of the bed and onto the floor. They scrambled to get away from the zombie, running in different directions from one another. This zombie looked like a woman, maybe in her fifties (but who could tell, she's dead!) and she crawled down from her perch and crookedly staggered its way in Paige's direction. She cried to 2D as she tripped backwards and away from the zombie.

"2D! Do something!" And he did, but nothing came from it. A pillow went flying across the room, missing the zombie entirely. Paige was now praying and muttering to her self, "I'm gonna die! Please, God. Jesus. Anyone! I don't wanna die like this. I wanted to die in my sleep as an old hag. We all ready went over this, Jesus!" And as the Zombie closed in, an object finally made contact with it and it whipped its head around with a sick cracking sound. Now it slowly turned around and made its way towards the new attraction, being 2D. Paige could now get herself off the floor and they both ran for the door. It was locked. Not only had 2D made a barrier for zombies to get in the room, he had also made an enclosure to keep them inside. They franticly unlocked the door and ran as fast as they could to the car park, screaming their heads of the entire time.

They ran to the Winnebago, banging their fists on the door franticly and yelling for Murdoc to open the door. When he did, they came into the vehicle like air into a freshly opened can of beer. They cowered on the floor, grabbing at each other and gasping for air as they were out of breath. Murdoc just stood at the door for a second, taking in the sudden rush and finally closed it. Walking over to the two "wackos" in his opinion, he sat down and watched them gasp for air. 2D was lying on his back, Paige was hunched over on the ground with her forehead resting on the floor and they held each other's arms and wrists tightly not even thinking of letting go.

"Soooo. Wot 'appened this time?"

Murdoc's questioned wasn't answered right away on account that the two were still having trouble breathing but as they regained some air in their lungs they both began to scream about the zombie simultaneously. They stopped simultaneously and Murdoc just looked at them wide eyed.

"Alright. I think you said there wos a zombie, right?"

"Yes!" They replied at the same time. Murdoc stood up and grumbled.

"Will you stop yelling, you little fucks!? And stop talking at the same time; its creeping me out."

A wrapping came from the door and moans could be heard as well. Paige shot up and ran to the bedroom side of the Winnebago, hiding underneath Murdoc's sheets.

"It's back to get me!" she cried from the bed. 2D also stood up and slowly walked backwards away from the door. Murdoc watched 2D as he did this.

"I thought you liked the zombies, you little nerd."

"I don' like when they try an' eat me. Jus' in the movies I like 'em." He replied as he continued to inch away. Murdoc reached into a cabinet and pulled out a gun, cocking it and prepared to shoot. Paige breathed heavily from under the sheet and was shocked when she saw 2D next to her in the darkness.

"When did you get under here?"

"I don't know. But I'm scared."

"Me too." And they held onto each other and the blanket as if that by doing so it would be protection from a zombie or a hurricane. Murdoc walked to the door as the zombie continued to scratch at it from the outside. Paige called from under the bed sheets.

"Murdoc, make it go away."

"I thought you didn't like to kill zombies?"

"But its dead already so do it."

"So now you don't care 'bout 'em anymore?"

"No, Murdoc. I…"

"You're very hypocritical …"

"Murdoc?"

"Wot?"

"Just kill the fucking zombie before I take the fucking gun and shot it in the head myself!"

Murdoc was taken back by her sudden outburst and 2D's ears and head were now acing. "I want my pain killers." He thought as he held onto Paige under the blanket. Murdoc opened the door and shot the zombie square in the forehead. At the sound of the gunshot, both Paige and 2D tightened their grip and gave a jump and shriek of surprise. The creature flew back and onto the car park pavement. Murdoc blew the smoke off the tip of the pistol and walked over to place it back in its cabinet.

"The deed's been done. Now get your arses out from my bed!"

They complied but as Paige was halfway off the bed, Murdoc called out a, "Wait!" and Paige did what she was told.

"Keep **your** arse in the bed. Harharhar!"

Paige just shook her head and walked out to where 2D and Murdoc were standing. Paige could now see the zombie and its "blown-to-shit" head sprawled across the cement floor. It was one of those things where you know you shouldn't look because it is violent or gross or whatever else it could be but you just can't look away. That was how Paige was right then. While she stared at the officially dead dead body, Murdoc gave 2D a look that told him to leave and 2D didn't think twice about denying what he was told to do. Now Paige and Murdoc were alone in the Winnebago… again… and you can only **guess** what was on Murdoc's mind (I don't even have to write this story! We all know what Murdoc is thinking half the time! I mean, we got a 50/50 chance of sex or booze.) Murdoc put his arms around Paige and cooed into her ear.

"Everything's done now. It's just me an' you an' no one to stop us from doin' wot you **really** have in mind. I can feel your 'eart beatin' faster, I can feel the way you jus' stroked your 'ands down my back and I can surely see it in your eyes." Murdoc pulled Paige closer by her thin waist, bringer her hips to his. Her face was red, her mind was battling, but her body wasn't resisting.

"Now, luv, this is wot you truly wanted. A piece of Murdoc, and don't worry because I'll give willingly and I'll give it real good." Their faces were closing in. Closer… closer… closer… STOP! Murdoc opened his mouth for the last time.

"Tha's right, my little koala. Do it."

Officially ended right there! Paige pulled away and started ranting and yelling at Murdoc.

"How **dare** you take advantage of me, my emotions, or my body!? And don't even **think** about calling me a koala ever again because the next time you do your getting a punch to the gut!" Murdoc squinted his eyes and made a hissing sound by quickly sucking in the air between his teeth and his tongue as if something was hot.

"Tss. Ohh, I can't wait for tha'." He replied sarcastically and Paige made her way out of the Winnebago, almost screamed at the zombie but remembered that it was down for the count, and stomped out of the care park. Paige's mind was more confused and mixed up than it had been before. "How does this keep happening?" she mumbled to herself as she proceeded to 2D's room. When she walked in, no explanation was necessary and they went back to bed with the scythe near by.

* * *

**Hey, This is FIM as you might know. The author of "Ants on Life Support". I just wanted to say thanks for anyone who is reading this but I'm also going to ask you a favor. Can I get at least 2 or 3 comments on the story before i post the next chapter? I don't care if it is a critique or a compliment but I'm only asking for 2 or 3. I'm not saying i wont post the next chapter, but a lack of c&c might cause the next chapter to be pushed back. This is an experiment to see if people are actually reading to story, and if they are, do they enjoy it. Peace!**

***F*I*M***


	7. You've lost

The sound of ringing resonated through the earpiece of the cell phone and the sound waves surfed into the ear that sat beside it. An answer was something that wasn't expected and none came. It rang on and on until after a minute the answering machine played:

_Hey. It's Paige. I couldn't answer the phone, if you haven't noticed already, but I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Just leave a message after the 'beeeep' and I'll …_

The machine abruptly ended as the cell phone clicked close. Amy grumbled and threw the phone on the sheets, following the same action with the rest of her body. That **stupid** ringing was still playing in her head since that's all she had heard from her friend since the Thursday morning Paige had called her. Amy remembered the last time they actually spoke face to face. It was Tuesday morning when Paige had left but it felt like it happened longer ago.

_Paige put the final things away in her bag, zippering it closed. Amy sloppily walked into the kitchen and lit up a cigarette (one of her unhealthy morning and all around habits). As she saw Paige's pile of bags and her lanky room mate gathering all of them in long arms, she was confused. Utterly and unwaveringly confused._

"_Paige? Wots all this… shit… about?" Paige looked back towards the shorter Eurasian woman behind her, a hint of sadness and even fear in her voice. But she tried her best to sound confident and determined._

"_I'm going to follow my dream. I'm making music."_

"_And where the hell are ya gonna do tha'?"_

"_Anywhere but here. I need to go out to get this done .It's not that I want to leave, I have to. Don't worry about me." Paige didn't look towards Amy's direction, still gathering some things and checking around for any possible possession that she would need to bring with her. Amy walked over to the preoccupied Aussie, taking a hold of her thin wrist. _

"_Paige! Wot are y' thinkin'?" Paige turned to face the short woman and gave a small shrug. Amy reprimanded Paige in a loud voice. "Are you __**even**__ thinking? You can't jus' go out and suddenly get noticed. Do you even 'ave a plan? Do you 'ave any idea 'ow t' take care of yourself?" _

_Paige sheepishly looked away from Amy, letting out a nervous laugh that gave Amy the wrong impression that this was all a joke. _

"_Amy, if I told you my plan, you'd never believe me in a million years. I can do this, o…"_

"_Well wot if y' cant?" Amy cut in. "Wot if this doesn't work out for you? Where the 'ell are y' going, anyway?" Paige didn't respond at first but instead led Amy to the small table in the kitchen. They sat down and faced one another, except for the fact that Paige wasn't looking at Amy while Amy was staring down Paige._

"_Look, Ams. I know that you care about me. I know that I'm like a little sister to you. But I'm old enough to take care of myself and do what I want to. __**By myself**__. I don't mind that you're concerned about me, but I…"_

"_I just want t' know where you're going."_

"_The Gorillaz studio."_

_Silence filled the room and Amy didn't respond at all. She wasn't sure how to respond. Should she be excited, infuriated, scared, upset, worried, supportive, jealous? __**Jealous**__; Amy was jealous of Paige. She was envious of her musical talents, her ambitions, and her strong will to follow through with her dreams. Now that Paige was __**really **__going for it, for her "big break", Amy felt jealous. It was Gorillaz! Such a big success with such a small opening for new artists. But Amy started to let her shade of green fade away and she thought about the young girl before her. Paige was young, too young to understand that what she was doing was possibly a mistake, but she was also naïve enough to not let those thoughts get to her and stop her. She was young, only a few years younger then Amy, but she had talent, knowledge, and virtue past her years while having the determination and stubbornness of a child. Paige was going to Kong Studios and Amy knew that what ever she did and whatever she could possibly say would never become a barrier to Paige's dream. _

_And then she was gone._

Amy took another drag of her cigarette as she looked straight ahead of her with unfocused eyes. She was bored without Paige and the thought of not knowing what she was up to kind of scared her. 'She better not be getting herself into trouble.' she thought, tapping her toes on the linoleum floor of the kitchen. The phone hung on the wall of the kitchen and was in arms reach of Amy. She looked at it, the empty plate on the table before her, out the window towards the dark muggy night, and back towards the phone.

"The hell!" Amy said to herself with a shrug, picking up the phone and dialing the number with false hope. It was a Saturday night; who isn't busy on a Saturday night? No answer.

* * *

It was nearly noon when the bassist exited the Winnebago, rustling his black mop top and pulling at the uncomfortable bunching of denim on his jeans. Murdoc groaned as he looked down at the car park pavement, noticing the stains of blood from a few nights ago. It was Sunday morning now, only two days since the incident. Thinking back on the event, he remembered the hilarious and pathetic look on 2D's face and the hysterical actions of Paige towards the zombie. Paige. He wondered what she was up to. The day before, she was still shook up by the zombie attack and was attached to Noodle's hip, not leaving her for less then a second. This was mostly do to the fact that Paige understood that Noodle was very skilled in self defense and the fact that she wasn't going to go to the bathroom and get changed with one of the men (that's really how close she was to Noodle).

As Murdoc turned the corner around the Winnie, he noticed the empty space in the car park. Normally, an empty space in a car park wouldn't be anything to get excited or surprised over but in this case, it was. One of the cars was missing, but so was one of the people that resided in Kong for the time-being. It didn't take long before Murdoc discovered Paige had gone out, mostly because when he saw Noodle there was no ridiculously lanky Australian woman attached. When questioned, Noodle explained that Paige wanted to go out so she had permission from Russel to have the keys and take the car out for a while. Murdoc pondered on this but was stumped on why she would have to leave. Probably for some lady products that didn't spark any interest in Murdoc at all. But that didn't stop him from making yet another attempt at wooing her. "Why not, ey?"

* * *

Paige drove along the long driveway up to Kong only to find that the car park door refused to open. Noodle had given her the combination number to open it but for some reason it wasn't working. 'Maybe I have the wrong number? Or maybe the battery is dead? Hmm, that sucks.' Paige had no choice but to park the car where it stood and walk to the front door. She opened the door and quickly came in, turning around to gingerly close it as to not bring attention to herself. Too late.

"Oi, luv. I missed y' dearly."

Paige spun around in surprise and flattened herself against the door to see no one other than Murdoc Niccals. He was sitting on the floor with a cigarette between his lips, a half empty pack of fags next to him accompanied by a bottle of vodka. Paige's surprise bubbled away, almost turned to anger, but she calmly composed herself.

"Who, me?" she replied innocently and purposefully, pointing to herself. Murdoc laughed and snapped back a reply.

"No, the door. Who else y' think I'm talkin' t'?" He took another drag of his cigarette waiting for a response from Paige, but none came. He looked up to Paige, who was itching to leave the room but didn't when Murdoc spook again.

"So, where were you?"

"No where." She replied quickly, even thought it was probably the stupidest answer she could give. But it was all that came out of her mouth. Murdoc raised an eye brow to her and held the cigarette between his fingers at his lips.

"You obviously weren't 'ere. So 'no where' is the wrong answer. Sorry, luv."

"I was just out for a while. Y'know, just looking around." Paige lied to him, still getting antsy and nervous. Murdoc picked this up and was about to put some more wood on the burning fire. Now to think about it, wood isn't the best thing to describe what Murdoc planed to do. Something more fitting would be gasoline or even some napalm explosives to the fire. The Satanist pulled the cigarette from his lips and flicked some ash on the floor, making it seem like he was not interested one bit. Just adding some wood to the fire now; not the explosives yet.

"Tha's a shame, mostly 'cause there's not much t' do 'round here."

Paige stuttered a response again in an effort to shrug him off her shoulder. (Silly Paige! You should have learned from previous times that Murdoc doesn't let things go easily.) She hoped that this last lie would get her free.

"Exactly! That's why I came back. There was nothing that caught my interest."

Paige miscalculated this move because before she knew it the bassist had flicked his fag away, rose from the floor and tugged her forward towards himself with hands interlocked behind her thin waist. Ohh, the fire is really burning now!

"No wonder you came back. All the int'rest you would need is right before your very eyes, right luv?" Murdoc said lustfully and pulled the woman even closer.

**Explosion initiated!**

Paige was now flustered to the point where she couldn't force her body to pull away but instead she made an effort to hide her red and surprised face. Trying her best to turn away, calloused hands met the sides of her face and turned her so that she and Murdoc were face to face; eye to eye. Murdoc rubbed his thumb in circular motions at the temples of Paige's head, coxing her to relax. Paige couldn't help but to feel pleasure under Murdoc's touch, beside the fact that she knew that it was only another effort to get her to sleep with him. But at the time, she let him continue to massage her head.

It all ended abruptly when she felt the motion stop and a swift tug forward. Paige braced herself for the worst but it never comes. More over, it seemed that the most unexpected happened. Murdoc suddenly pulled Paige's forehead down towards his crooked nose and placed the rounded tip to the flat surface of her head. There was a still moment like this with the bassist holding Paige's head to his nose but not in anyway did he force her to and neither did she force herself away. She could smell the hint of cigarette smoke and alcoholic beverage on his breath as they stood for a minute. But it seemed that Murdoc had another trick up his sleeve as he brought in a deep breath, taking in the scent of Paige's skin.

Paige was very confused and totally surprised by such a random thing for him to do. She couldn't help but feel aroused at the action, though, and her face deepened to a darker pink. Murdoc grinned his trade mark and mischievous grin as he opened his eyes to look down at the bent over woman he was holding. (Remember that Paige is slightly taller than Murdoc :P). She looked up fearfully wondering what he would do next, but it was what he said that knocked her off balance.

"Holy water."

It wasn't even a question but a simple statement. Who knew that two simple words could change the entire atmosphere of the room? And who would have thought those two words would be 'holy' and 'water'? Well, that's what did it because as soon as Murdoc said it, Paige nervously and awkwardly pushed herself away from him but was unsuccessful as the door was right behind her. Paige was cornered, and even worst, she was caught in a lie. The woman was unable to explain herself, mostly because she was unsure what was going on in Murdoc's head at the moment. Once again, Paige was stuck between a rock and a hard place and those being Murdoc and the damn door. Murdoc stepped forward toward the woman.

"Wot? You think I'm mad atcha?"

Paige was startled by his motion forward and his voice and tried her best to stay out of his way. In an effort to explain herself, she stuttered an answer.

"Umm, I… I, uhh, don't really know what to think right now. And I'm clueless about what **you're** thinking as well."

Murdoc laughed at the young woman and placed his palms flat against the door behind Paige at each side of her head and leaned in towards her. Paige could only prepare herself for the worst since anything would be better then the worst possible option. And if the worst possible thing were to happen, at least she would be mentally prepared. Murdoc stopped laughing and looked dead into Paige's eyes, still holding a small grin on his face.

"Paige, are you mad at me 'cause I'm a follower of the devil?"

Paige instinctively looked down at the symbol of his beliefs that lied on his bare chest; the inverted cross. But from her view, the cross almost seemed the right side up, but she looked up towards the mismatched eyes again to respond defensively and truthfully back to the man in front of her.

"No, of course not."

Murdoc smirked again and looked into her eyes, now a bit closer than they were before. His voice was almost a whisper.

"Then why would I be mad at you for your religion?" He leaned in closer, their visages deathly close. Paige whimpered back.

"I don't know."

Their warm breaths escaped from their slightly parted mouths and lingered on the other's lips. There was barely any space between the two now, as Paige let herself move forward towards the bassist that she had previously refused to come close to. This warmth was so tempting, and she regretfully but truthfully wanted more. With her eyes closed Paige awaited for the kiss but none came. Still in the same position, she opened her eyes to see Murdoc walking away shoving the pack of cigarettes into his back pocket and dangling the bottle of vodka between his fingers.

'What… just… **happened**?' Paige thought as she pulled herself to her normal posture and looked on as the bassist jetted out of the room. She knew that Murdoc was a crafty person, but now he was just playing games. In the back of her head, even if she hated to admit it, Murdoc was winning some how.

The Satanist held in a triumphant laugh as best as he could as he entered the corridor. As the door closed behind him, he let out a sigh and smiled. 2D was standing right there.

"'ey, Murdoc. Watch y' been up t'? Is Paige back yet?"

Murdoc looked at the singer, his smile slid down to a frown as he scowled at the taller man.

"Why would you care?"

"I don' know. She's been out for a while."

Murdoc walked up to 2D threateningly with his hands made into tight fist as each side. 2D intuitively backed away as he saw the signs of a beating coming his way. Murdoc pointed a finger into the man's face and 2D shrunk away and stared at the finger between his eyes.

"Now, you listen y' nosey parker! Paige ain't your property so don't fake yourself in believing your all 'buddy-buddy' because that's not the case." Murdoc now grinned and removed the hand from the singers face, giving him a change to move back to normal height. Leaning on the corridor wall, he continued. "She's looking for me right now if you didn't know. It's just a matter of…"

"Murdoc!?" Paige yelled from the lobby, stomping her way towards the corridor door.

Murdoc grinned and glanced at 2D. "What did I tell you?" he said as he turned towards the door, waiting for Paige to enter.

Well, Paige entered (she sure as hell did) but not in the way Murdoc had expected. Instead of the mental image of the Australian woman coming in to apologize and get what she was about to get before he had pulled away, in came a fuming woman with her fists clenched at her sides. She seemed taller at the moment; maybe from her frizzy hair do to the humid weather but most likely because of her anger. Murdoc's eyes widened at she came in close, grabbed his shoulders and pulled him forward. For a second, Paige had him believing that she was back to steal a kiss from him but that changed when she swiftly turned him around, pushed him forward, and kicked him in the rear end. The bassist fumbled forward a bit and turned around now enraged at the fact that he was caught off guard, was pushed around by a woman (and a skinny woman at that), and that 2D had seen the whole thing first hand. Paige started to scream at him, unaware that 2D was witnessing the whole thing like a fly on the wall.

"Did you think that I would just fall for that!? I'm not that stupid, Murdoc, if you haven't figured out already. I didn't come here so that you could hunt me down every minute. I know its all part of your 'game', but I don't want to be any part of it. What you did out there was totally unaccepta-".

Paige was cut off by the sound of muffled snickers (not the yummy, chocolaty, peanuty kind). She froze in her foots steps and realized that she was in a strange position with her arms all over and knees bent. Murdoc's face was filled with sheer shock, disgust, and disbelief that this 'chick' was yelling at him. But when the sound of suppressed laughter cut through the scene, everything flopped around. 2D was covering his mouth, trying his best not to laugh out loud at what he saw before himself. Murdoc, of all people, seemed less intimidating than his normal self as the usually calm and low key woman bashed him. Paige turned her head around to notice 2D for the first time since entering the corridor. Murdoc was now infuriated, being humiliated in front of the dullard out of anyone and everyone in the world. 'Anyone but him!' he thought as 2D continued to laugh.

Murdoc trudged quickly towards 2D and grabbed him by the hair and pulled him under his arm, bringing the taller man in a very uncomfortable and strangling hold between his ribs and elbow.

"You think this is funny?! I'll show you funny when I pull those giddy little teeth out of your fucking mouth one by one!"

"Murdoc!" Paige yelled out and struggled to pull 2D out of the hold. "Let him go! He didn't do anything!" After freeing him and sending the to back a foot or two, 2D scampered his way behind Paige as if she was like the protective big brother and Murdoc was the bully.

"I'm sowry, Muds. I jus' couldn't hold it in. I won't tell anyone, I swear."

"Your damn right y' won't tell anyone!" Murdoc shot back, lunging a bit forward to bring back his dominating position. 2D squeamishly buried his blue hair into the back up Paige's neck as she stepped back at the sudden movement that the bassist took forward. She took 2D's hand from behind her and dragged him down the corridor past Murdoc.

"Come on, 2D. Let's go. At least I can trust to be with you for more than ten minutes." The last remark was meant for Murdoc, and he heard it. He shouted back to her.

"Oh yeh? The dullard's just a gayarse that is either too daft or too homosexual t' even think 'bout tha'." Paige ignored him and continued to pull 2D with her. As they turned a few corners and were far enough away from Murdoc, they stopped. Paige didn't know what to say and neither did 2D. 2D had never seen Paige do something like that before or even anyone do something like that to Murdoc. Paige, herself, was surprised at her actions and felt somewhere deep down that what she did was wrong. 2D put a hand on her shoulder and looked Paige in the eyes, fear slightly changing his facially expression.

"Wot d' y' fink Murdoc is gonna do now?" Paige was still mad and said the first and most logical thing that came out of her mind.

"He's probably gonna wank himself and drink till he passes out. What's new?" 2D's eyes widened at her harsh but frank words.

"Oh."

And the conversation ended at that as they made their way to the basement in silence.

* * *

**Hey! *F*I*M* here again... just checking in on the story. Sorry it took so long, I was busy. It's pretty depresing having to write about the summer during the winter but thats a diffrent story. Anyway, if you've read this chapter dont refrain from a comment or critice. If i can spend about a month writing a really long chapter that ends up becoming two, then I think you can leave a sentence or two about the story. Thank you everyone who read this!**


	8. But the Winner Is

As the day went on, the anger and frustration began eating away more and more at Paige's insides and her mind. She felt guilty for humiliating Murdoc, even though he deserved it. She also began to realize that what Murdoc had done before and a few times before was not necessarily 'bad' or crossing any lines; especially what he had done only hours ago. He had seemed to be kind, even considerate and understanding towards Paige but she knew that he was possibly faking it.

'_He couldn't be faking it all though, could he?' _

'_Yeah, he probably would.' _

'_But, then again, the things he said about religion were true and what I told him was the truth.' _

'_But I need to remember, Murdoc has probably done this to multiple women, multiple times. I didn't come to sleep with a musician and leave.' _

'_Maybe I should just talk to him.' _

'_Or maybe I should let him wallow in his self pity. Wait, is it even possible for him to pity himself?' _

'_I'm being a selfish bitch! When did this happen? I'm going to talk to him and get things straight and nothing is going to stop me.' _

'_Unless what I told 2D when he asked about what Murdoc would do is true… eww."_

This went on in Paige's mind; back and forth, back and forth. It was like a game of pong, or even like fencing in Paige's mind. It was like a continuous parry-repost where when one side would let up, then they would get hit and be a point away from winning the bout. The person that stayed persistent would get the touch and come a step closer to victory. Paige had to be persistent and get closer to her goal. What the goal was, she wasn't sure at the time. Sometimes it doesn't matter what the goal is, it matters if you do everything possible to succeed and come through

* * *

Paige was relieved to find that Murdoc wasn't doing anything too inappropriate but was instead playing his bass, jotting down notes and a few lyrics. She didn't barge in at first as she took in the deep vibrations that the strings produced. Paige had always been mesmerized by those vibrations, by being able to feel the music for once instead of just listening to it in the background. Having always wanted to play the bass guitar, she couldn't help but want to listen and imagine that she could do the same. She snapped back to reality for a second as Murdoc stopped playing, realized where she was, and remembered the purpose of being there. Paige knocked on the door.

Murdoc stopped mid-lyric as he looked up from the old and worn out note pad he was writing in. The knocking came from the door, the familiar sound of boney knuckles hitting the outer shell of the vehicle.

"This kid has a death wish, I'm telling you." He said gruffly to the black raven perched behind him. Cortez cawed back as if responding to his master. Murdoc reluctantly got up, placed his bass down, and walked to the door with an angry grumble. He opened the door and before he even looked to see who was there said, "What do you want, dulla-", but quickly realized he was wrong when he saw the freckled woman standing in the Winnebago's doorway, her face and body language showing uncertainty and even discomfort. Murdoc glared down at her; she inch back a step.

"Oh. It's you. What the hell do you want from me?" Paige's eyes wandered around from the floor, the steps into the Winnebago, Murdoc's feet, up to his face, and then away. She quietly and in a low voice responded.

"I just… wanted to talk. Is that too harsh of me to ask?"

"Why would y'want t' talk to me?" Murdoc responded, not giving up his stern attitude. Paige want phased to much by it, mostly because she expected him to be upset. That was going to have to change.

"Because I think there is something that the both of us aren't understanding." Paige looked at Murdoc, he looked at her. She wasn't going to back down and he could see that in the way she looked him dead in the eye. Murdoc turned around and mumbled as he made his way back into the Winnebago.

"Yeh, yeh. Sure, sure. Just don't waste too much of my time." He had barely made it half way into the kitchen when he heard a boom. He turned sharply, trying to find the source of the sound but instead found Paige on her hands and knees at the foot of the steps.

"Ow." She wimpered as she pulled herself up. Murdoc shook his head at her clumsy fall and wondered how someone that could push him down a corridor with her right foot couldn't make her way up stairs. And three, I mean **three** freakin' steps! Now standing, she rubbed her bare and sore knees making her way into the kitchen. This was the first time Paige really was able to have a look around. The previous times involved half-blindness and zombies: not the best times to inspect the vehicle. Now, she was neither surprised nor curious about the place. It was a mess, it smelled, and it was everything she expected.

Murdoc was now sitting, a cigarette magically taking its place in his previously unoccupied lips. Paige stood before him and watched him take a few drags of his cigarette in silence. He wasn't going to talk so she would have to.

"I'm just letting you know that you won." Murdoc looked up and mumbled with the cigarette still between his lips.

"Won wot?"

"That game of yours that you and thousands of other men play. I'm not going to kid myself, you're really good at it and you got me off guard. So you've won your game and don't think that you didn't." Murdoc nonchalantly continued to puff in the smoke, glancing up at her while she spoke.

"I hoped that was the case." He replied as he continued to sit in front of Paige, seeming bored and uninterested. "I thought I lost my charm there for a bit. Luckily, I still got it."

"Of course you do. I mean, if you can get away with being a jack arse and still have thousands of women at your feet than your pretty well off. Right? I don't exactly get it, but it works every time."

"For you too?" Murdoc glared up at her, now showing some sort of interest. Paige gave one of those smiled you give when someone finds out your secret and you know you've been caught. Just like those types, she didn't intend to smile either; it was just something that happened. Paige stepped a bit closer.

"Well, yeh. 'Course it worked. Every time. But I didn't want to give into it. I just feel wrong around you like that, is all." She stopped and realized how offensive she sounded and tried to re-explain. "Not that I was disgusted or extremely uncomfortable around you. That's not what I meant. It's almost the opposite most of the time. Your quite the spunk."

The bassist finished a cigarette at this point, pushed the butt into an ashtray, and had already taken a new and lit cigarette to take its place. He listened all the while though, inwardly laughing as Paige corrected herself in an effort to not come off as rude. It didn't really bother him much, mostly because he was the biggest bastard around. He looked up at the Aussie, whom was still standing in front of the seated bassist.

"Good t'hear. Now sit down b'fore your shaky chicken legs let y' down, luv, ok? I'm not gonna be the one t' help you up."

Paige didn't register all of this at first. Murdoc was still acting cool as a cucumber and didn't seem made at her or even glad that she admitted falling into his charms. Then she realized that her legs were shaking. Was she that nervous? Paige hesitated at first, still not sure as to whether she should move or not but decided to take a seat anyway. As she sat down and as she sat some more, nothing was said. The only sound was of Murdoc's puffing and blowing of smoke. It was bizarrely and eerily quiet. Awkward silence wasn't something Paige liked. Neither was awkward conversation but the silence was killing her. What nagged Paige only grew Murdoc's interest.

"I'm sorry about before." Paige said in a low voice, her head sunk and her eyes downcast to the side. "I don't usually act that way, and I promise it wont happen again."

Murdoc turned his head to her slightly and flicked ash off the end of the fag. He looked at her questioningly.

"Do y' have your period or somethin' because I know that makes all cool cats just a little mental."

"No!" Paige shot back. "Why can't I be angry or upset without it having to do with my menstruation cycle?" Once again, she said something she would probably regret, but Murdoc didn't laugh at her ludicrous response mostly because he had come up with such an insinuation.

"Where did y' learn tha' arse kickin' move anyway?" Murdoc asked, letting a smirk escape from his solid and uninterested face. Paige just shrugged her shoulders and gave a small frown as emphasis.

"Not really sure. I practically grew up with four brothers always messin' around so I'm used to being a bit rough."

"Four?"

"Well, not really. I actually only have one brother but he's a dipstick and mostly antisocial but never seized to be a pain in the arse. The other three guys are the old band mates. They were my friends, but they were like big brothers also." Paige looked Murdoc in the eye and leaned forward a bit closer. "I was thinking maybe we could be friends?" Murdoc slumped back and grunted.

"Eer… I don't think so, luv. I'm not the friend type."

"Don't you have any friends?"

"No" Murdoc replied bluntly.

"That's not true. Aren't you mates with that Shaun dag?" Paige insisted, eye brow raised.

"That's different - "

"Not exactly." Paige cut in and stopped Murdoc from wanting to take another chance to dissuade her. But, hell, he made one last go.

"But you're a bird."

"And… ?" Murdoc gave up at this. Paige continued. "I'm gonna make a deal with you. As long as you stop perving around I'll prove that it is possible to make friends, especially with a woman." Murdoc looked at her for a second with his eyebrows set under his dark bangs.

"And wot do I get from all this?"

"To keep your secret. I promise that I won't tell anyone about our little incident today and neither can you." Paige replied with her hand up as if making a pledge.

"Wot if I don't want t'?" Murdoc questioned her, sure that this wouldn't work at all. Paige smirked.

'You don't have much of a choice, now, do you? By not agreeing, than I don't have to follow my promise." Paige still wasn't convincing Murdoc that what she could do would be of any harm, but she continued.

"I've been here for about a week and I know a lot more than you know: the phone number, the address, the way to get here, the combination number to the car park. Believe me; I know a lot by now. And I also have information to hold against you. The fact that you got bounced by a twenty one year old cello-ist and vocalist fresh out of college and were unable to persuade or force said person to sleep with you could be held against you. Oh, and take a shower more often and change your cloths for once. You've been wearing the same jeans since the day I walked into the place. Oh, and put a shirt on. Noodle shouldn't have to look at your moobs."

Murdoc just sat and watched as Paige talked and talked on and on and now he was truly starting to fear the possibilities that she was saying. Murdoc wasn't going to enjoy having fans know how to get into the place and call every five seconds every day. But something inside of him was enjoying this other side of the curly hair woman. He shook his head and choked out a chuckle and laugh. His pointed snaggle-teeth peeked from his wide grin and his hair shook as his head turned in disbelief.

"I made a mistake letting y' stay 'ere." Paige got up, and stood right about Murdoc.

"You're a little late on that, sorry." She extended her hand out to him. "Do we have a deal?"

Murdoc hoisted himself from his seat and stood face to face with Paige. She backed up a bit to give herself some room, hand still extended. There was a standstill for a few moments. Murdoc's face was filled with seriousness and Paige's with determination. The bassist's hand reluctantly took the Australian singer's hand and gave a strong squeeze and shake. The motion continued as they spoke.

"You really 'ave a thing against me, don't you."

"No, not at all. Quite the opposite. Good friendships are the best things you're going to get in life." Murdoc Grunted and the motion stopped, hands dropped to sides. Paige smiled and turned her way out.

"See you later." She called over her shoulder as she entered the car park and went out of Murdoc's sight. The Satanist just went back to his previous spot; Cortez cawed in Murdoc's ear from his perch. He turned toward the raven and stroked it breast feathers. He mumbled under his breath to him.

"She still wants to shag me though."

Murdoc went back to what he was doing before. He picked up the bass, opened up his book, and started playing again.

He didn't know but Paige listened intently for the entire time he played.

* * *

**Hey! *F*I*M* here again... just checking in on the story. Sorry it took so long, I was busy. It's pretty depresing having to write about the summer during the winter but thats a diffrent story. Anyway, if you've read this chapter dont refrain from a comment or critice. If i can spend about a month writing a really long chapter that ends up becoming two, then I think you can leave a sentence or two about the story. Thank you everyone who read this!**


	9. Hello Stranger?

Ch. 9

This was the second time she had had a nightmare since she had arrived at Kong Studios. The place seemed to trigger them more and even more violently then previously. Paige woke up in a cold sweat, her head and heart pounding. Oh, how she hated the way the human mind worked! It didn't take long for her to realize how hers and another's bodies were tangled. Lanky limbs overlapped under the pink sheets. Paige contemplated the masculinity of the magenta shade of the comfiture but never found the incentive to ask. At the moment, it really didn't matter.

The blue haired man seemed to be rudely awakened as Paige pulled away and without knowing, his arm wrapped around the cellist's thin waist and pulled her back towards the magenta sea. Shocked at the tug, Paige let out a wary "Hey!" and grasped 2D's thin wrists with her sweaty palms. Stu mumbled again; something about "Why are you doing that?" or "Where are you going?" or something along those lines but he finally came out of his dazed slumber after he felt a squeezing at his wrists.

"Err, Paige? Is that you?" 2D murmured with squinted eyes and a low yawn. The Aussie smirked, rolled her eyes, and nodded.

"Yeh, it's me. You're really too touchy-feely. Y'know that?"

"Wot do y'mean?"

"I mean you're a cuddle-er of some kind."

There was a pause before 2D responded "Is there sumefink wrong wif tha'?" Paige's cheeks pinkened at the statement.

"Well, no. Not really. I'm not much for cuddling though. I'm boney and pointy and it's just kind of strange waking up with someone right next to you. Or on top of you."

"I'm not very comfy myself. I don't mind it wreally but if y'do mind then I'll stop. An' you can always jus' go back t' the o'ver room…" The look on Paige's face as she recalled back on the bloody events in that room jotted Stu's memory and the brought about the fact that what he said was a slip-up "or I'll jus' move over if your uncomf'table."

Paige reached for her glasses on the nightstand and responded "No. No, I'm fine here. I just…" She looked at him. He looked at her. Paige could tell he was just trying to make sure she was comfortable and having a good stay in the bewitched studio. "I just need to get used to it I guess. If you want to cuddle then go right ahead. It doesn't really matter because I'm sleeping anyway."

"Wreally?"

"Really really. I need a shower. Jeez, it's only 6:50! I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's no problem. Now that I'm up I probably won't get back t' bed."

"I'm really sorry about this."

"S'all right. Y'don't need t'xplain yourself or anyfink." Paige nodded and got her self up from the bed, gathered some things, and made her way to the shower. 2D had also gotten up and started to move around the room before Paige had left.

* * *

The cellist stood under the inactive shower head, still dry and in need of a rinse. She just stood for a second as she heard murmuring from somewhere in the building. One voice was a woman's (British and nasally) while the others was a man's (British as well but gruff and deep). The man's was familiar, too familiar to Paige but the woman's was unrecognizable. Probably someone the Satanist had brought over for the night. Not like this bothered Paige one bit; the man was Murdoc Niccals and hell knows who the woman was. That's what she has expected anyway. As Paige stopped trying to overhear the conversation, she twisted the handle which, in turn, initiated the freezing cold water to come shooting from the shower head which led to Paige's surprised and loud reaction. The female singer shrieked in shock, lost her footing, and slipped on the smooth white foundation landing with a loud thud and a string of muttered curses.

2D bolted down the hall and turned the corners swiftly towards the screech and bang. He knocked on the door and called from the other side "Paige? Dawlin', are you ok?".

"Wot?"

"Are you ok?"

Paige grunted and picked herself up off the slippery floor. On the way down, she had reflexively turned the handle to stop the flow of cold water. "Yeh, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" the melodicist knocked on the door.

"No, I'm fine. Really. Don't worry" The cellist mumbled back, embarrassed with herself.

"Are you really sure?" 2D repeated himself.

"Yes."

There was a pause before 2D responded, "Can I just check? It sounded like you fell pretty badly…" Paige grabbed for the towel outside of the shower and wrapped it around herself. It was a bit short but nothing too revealing.

"If you really have to come in…"

2D put a hand on the door knob. "Are you sure? Are y', y'know, 'presentable'?"

"Yup."

"Are you sure?"

Paige pushed the door open a crack and looked at the vacant wide eyes of the man on the other side.

"You sound like a broken record, it's annoying me." Paige pushed the door open all the way opening the bathroom to the corridor completely. The Australian gave a 360 round about saying, "See; I'm perfectly fine. My bum isn't gonna feel so good but other then that I'm fine." 2D watched as the woman turned around, noting her long lean legs, toned and lean arms, broad swimmers shoulders holding an elegant neck, tousled damp mess of golden brown hair, and all the while she was wet. Like any other man, a woman in a small towel was attractive and in his mind Paige was nothing less. "Poor bum." He thought as she turned to face towards him.

"Wot?" she questioned him, seeing his perplexed face. 2D returned to reality and looked up to her eyes and stood in a soldier-esc way.

"Nufink!" he screeched the response a bit too loud and defensively.

Paige smirked and turned to the shower. Her shoulders slumped, ands set at her waist, eye brows furrowed, and she gave an agitated sigh. "So how do I get this thing to work now?" She questioned the man next to her.

"Well," he replied as he turned the shower handle to the left "this should make the water warm I fink." 2D put his fingers under the stream of water. "See. It's warm." Paige followed the same and shook her head.

"No, I like it when it's hot." The statement sounded a bit seductive, but in an innocent way. Mostly because it was unintentional so the blue haired man ignored it.

"Even when it's muggy out like this? I've been takin' cold showers lately." The cellist snorted as she tried to suppress a laugh. 2D looked at her perplexed and questioned her sudden response. She assured him it was nothing as she continued to laugh inwardly at the Brit's last statement.

"Alright, 2D. The water's warm enough. I gotta, y'know, get in now."

As 2D walked out and started to close the door he whispered in, "Is it alwright if I stay outside the door fo' a bit?" He then closed the door all the way.

"Wot? Why would you want to do that?"

"I thought maybe we could talk."

"Woteva." The Aussie replied as she removed the towel, stepped into the shower, and closed the curtain shut in one fluid motion. She began to wet her hair and 2D began to ask some questions.

"So, how are you?"

"Good."

"How's Kong been treatin' you?"

"Good. It's a bit creepy at times, though. But I guess you're already used to that." There was silence before Paige spoke again. 'Y'know. You really don't have to ask me these kinds of questions."

"Alwright. Let's talk 'bout sumfink else. How 'bout family? Y'got any?"

"Family? That's one thing I have a hell'a lot of. I've got two loving parents and a pushover older brother. I can't really complain. How 'bout you?"

"Well, I'm an only child. I always wanted siblin's but I heard many times that they're jus' pains in th'arse. It's just my mum left now. My da' kind'o passed awhile back."

"Oh, I'm sorry. How recently?" the cellist questioned sympathetically. She could never imagine what it was like to loose a parent.

"Back last year, before Demon Days had even been finished. He wos a good guy, never did nufink wrong. I fink that's why he went in 'is sleep; no pain o' anyfink."

"Hmm. He sounds like a nice guy. How about your mum. Tell me about her."

"My mum? I'm not sure how t' describe 'er. Anyfink she does is perfect and she's pro'ly the most important woman in my life. But I fink she spoils me just a little."

Paige giggled as she finished scrubbing shampoo into her hair. "I get wot you mean. I think all mothers are like that, really. I remember trying to do everything she did because it seemed so flawless and easy and then I would try and it would turn out like shit. Kind of like cracking eggs. She could do it with one hand and I would end up getting shells in the bowl. That's probably because she worked in a bakery."

"Your mum's a baker?"

"She wos when I was younger. It was the family business and her father had her working there since she was twelve. She took the public transport bus that young every day to work. But then she realized how working there kept her away from me and my brother who were watched by our stay at home dad once she got older so she became a secretary at a local elementary school."

"So I'm guessing you can bake or cook, right?"

"Yeh. I guess; but never as well as my mum. So wot does your mum do?"

"She's a nurse. Sends me my pills for my 'eadaches an' migraines."

Paige had fully rinsed the bubbles and suds from her hair. 2D had taken a spot on the floor where he could lean against the door. His long legs lay in a V shape spread across the corridor floor.

"So, Paige, how did y' get int' music?"

"When I was young I sang for my church and learned the piano and the cello."

"Church? So you're religious?"

"Yeh? Didn't Murdoc tell you?"

2D's facial expression changed because of his confusion and misunderstanding. "No, how would he know?"

Paige paused mid-arm scrub. She hesitated to answer "I don't know. I know that he knows though. I just thought he wouldn't keep it to himself."

"But **you** keep it to yourself?" 2D questioned Paige, indulged by the situation and yearning to understand. Paige continued to wash over her body.

"I didn't really mean to. Sorry. Just to let you know, I'm Catholic. And aren't you Buddhist or something? How did you get into that?"

"Well. I don't wreally remember exactly how. But I liked to whole idea of letting everyfing go. You have t' have harmony wif'in yourself and the world, right? And I feel like I had been Buddhist all along; I jus' didn't have a name for it at the time." The singer chuckled a bit and continued. "Wot were we talkin' 'bout? Oh, yeh! Music. So where did y'go from there?"

"After I had gotten basic piano and voice lessons I started to learn the cello. It wasn't long after that that I had moved to the States and started my new school there. I continued to play cello in the schools orchestra but didn't sing in the chorus mostly because I was afraid and stuff. But when I did, everyone thought I was good and I started to get noticed. One person who noticed in particular was Gavin. I didn't really know him that well, even though he was one of my classmates in a generally small grade. But he asked if I wanted to sing for his band and I thought 'Heck, my not. I mean, this guy is probably the coolest kid in the class while I'm the geeky exchange student in the orchestra. It could gain me some kudos.' So that's how all that started and while in the band I learned some drums and got my first electric cello. The other instruments I know just popped up around then and during college. Especially college since I had to experiment with all different types of music and instruments."

"Wow, that's a mouth full. I always loved piano and keys and stuff. Piano, melodica, and singin' were my main fings. Didn't fink tha' they would get me famous, though."

"I can only hope the same happens for me." There was a pause for a minute before Paige asked "So, is there going to be a new CD or is it just a joke?"

2D didn't respond at first, mostly because he didn't know the answer to the question anymore than Paige did. It made him wonder why she was even there. But he couldn't deny that he enjoyed having someone else's company around the studio. 2D was sure he wasn't the only one that felt that way after seeing his band mates' reactions to the cellist. "I'm not wreally sure, luv. Sowry. I would ask Murdoc 'bout it. He seems t' be the one finkin' 'bout it. 'specially after his enthusiastic acceptance for y'."

Paige mumbled under the water "I can give you a hint why he would want me here. If you get wot I'm saying…" 2D understood what she meant. He'd witnessed the bass player's actions towards the Australian woman and saw how persistent he was in his "hunt".

"Yeh. I get it. But I wos getting kind of excited to work wif you on some music. I guess we still can, though, if you want to…"

Paige smiled a goofy wide smile. She thanked God that 2D couldn't see it. "That'd be nice."

"About you wakin' up, wos it a dream or sumfink."

"Mhm. Kind of."

"Nightmare?"

"Yeh. But nothing to worry about."

"Kong does that a lot. It messes with people's bonces a bit with all it's bad energies and wot-not. Black magic or sumfink like tha'. Some say people go mental 'cause of those fings but I hope that ain't the case here. I'd worry 'bout the demons more then the energies and shit. So wots the dream anyway?"

Paige's eyes shot open and she stopped suddenly out of shock and fear of the questions and statements. 'Demons?' 'This question again?' 'Here we go again…' 'I think this place is trying to kill me.' All these thoughts ran through her mind but had trouble translating to words. Soon enough, they did though.

"I don't want to be a burden on you, 2D."

"It's fine, you can trust me. I don't mind." Paige cringed as he said what she hoped not to hear. She sighed deeply and prepared herself for the explanation she had done many times before. By now she thought it would be easier but unfortunately it wasn't.

"Remember how I told you about my friends Greg?"

"Mhm, the bass player…"

"Well, I also mentioned that he died. That's pretty much what the nightmare has to relate to. I just imagine being at the site of his death and see or participate in it. It's usually the same every time."

"And this is every night?"

"Nah, just everyone once in a while. But being here made the last two I've had more frequent and worse to the point where they actually wake me up. It's kind of rare that that happens but I guess you were right about the 'bad energy' thing you said before. It's seems I have to worry about my inner demons more than the ones that hang around the studios, huh?"

"I guess so. Wos he your boyfriend or sumfink?"

Dead on again. What was with these Gorillaz men? Paige felt they were really good at figuring her out. Or maybe she was being too easy to figure out… either way, the notorious dull apple of the bunch had put the two together somehow.

"Yeh, only for a while before the accident. About two months to be more exact." And then she stopped. She felt the familiar restriction on her throat and the pressure behind her eyes. Why was she getting choked up over something that had happened so long ago? Why was she holding back tears when she was stating something so simple and plain that she had said numerous times before? Was it because she was tired? Was it PMS? **Was it because she was telling 2D…? **

Now apparently wasn't the time she wanted to talk about it and the sudden stop made the singer realize this. 2D lifted himself from the floor and faced the bathroom door, leaning in to hear any distinct sounds that resembled anything like crying. But he didn't; Paige wouldn't allow herself to do it. She was startled by the melodic voice that encompassed the bathroom and filled her ears. The sound of her name never seemed so beautiful.

"Paige… I'm sorry. Sorry that I asked and made you bring it up. I'm sorry 'bout Greg, too." Paige just bit her lip and shook her head under the water. She had finished a minute ago but hadn't turned the water off. She liked the feel of the water on her skin; it was relaxing. Just like the sound of the man's voice on the other side of the door; a feeling so soothing and comforting that she hoped wouldn't leave her.

"Actually, I should be the one that's sorry. It's really ok. I just think that I look back on those memories more then I should, especially in the way that I react to it. But I promise that I'll give you a good explanation to clear things up. Ok?"

"Ok."

The sound of the water stopped. Foot steps echoed down the corridor in the opposite direction of the bathroom.

* * *

Paige shook her damp hair with her right hand as she walked through the first floor lobby in hopes of finding the kitchen. Since the days were hot and muggy, she wore a pair of comfortable shorts and a tank top. No shoes or socks. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her of where she was going. 'Shut the hell up!' she thought at her bodily sound. She turned the corner, hoping she wasn't going the wrong way but realized she hadn't when she walked down the familiar corridor. She was glad that it wasn't the corridor that led to room 11. The Aussie shuddered at the thought of that room. Paige could see that a light was coming from the kitchen at the end of the dim lit hallway as she neared closer. She didn't hear the low voices from inside. Going through the door at her left, Paige stood frozen in her footsteps at the entrance.

Sitting in a chair was a woman; probably in her thirties. Her thick hair was a reddish color and her straight-across bangs were disheveled. Her chest size wasn't modest neither was her prominently upright nose on her round face. To top it off, she was stark naked. The only thing that could be said to be clothing was the inverted cross nestled in her bosom. Her cloths were piled on the floor near the table's leg. The Satanist turned around after hearing someone enter the room. He had been reaching up into the cupboard for some kind of painkillers when his conversation with the red-head was interrupted and his feeble attempts at getting the bottle were too.

The two women just looked at one another for a while, an eerie silence filling the kitchen. Murdoc watched to see what the two women would do. Paige stepped forward, glanced quickly towards Murdoc and unintentionally met eye contact, then looked back toward the naked woman.

"Hi?" she asked and stated at the same time.

"'ello." The British woman replied. It was definitely the same voice Paige had heard before. Even though the red-head was sitting naked in front of the cellist, she made no attempt to cover up. Her hands were folded in her lap, though, concealing most of her lower privates. Paige was about to leave when she suddenly heard the innocent and bright voice of the guitarist. The red-head stiffened in her seat at the sound, not sure of what to do. Murdoc muttered profanities under his breath as he zipped up the open fly on his jeans and walked over to where Paige was. The Australian glanced back to the woman, realizing that Noodle shouldn't have to see this stranger there. She was pretty sure that Noodle would understand it though but Paige still felt that she didn't have to a see a naked visitor sitting in her kitchen. The tall woman took a hold of the red-heads wrist and led her out the door and onto the balcony.

"Can you stay here and hide for about two minutes?" Paige asked the shorter woman who was now perpendicular to the wall that was farthest from the windows. She nodded. Paige returned the nod, smiled, and whispered, "I'll be back. Sorry 'bout this." The Aussie returned inside to find Noodle just entering.

"'ey, Noodle luv. How've y'been?" Murdoc questioned as he put an arm around her delicate shoulders. The Japanese teen shrugged him off with a smile and sat in the previously occupied seat. She noticed its warmth.

"I'm good, Murdoc-san. Good morning. 'allo Paige-san. Did you just come from outside?" Paige gulped as the teen questioned her.

"Yeh. Just… looking at the wonderful view." She laughed and Noodle smiled at the comment.

"That's good. Did you see 2D-kun anywhere? I looked for him a while but--" Noodle paused as the pile of cloths on the floor caught her eye. She reached down to get a hold of a piece of clothe and ended up picking up the smallest one; a lacy thong. "Ummm," Paige and Murdoc stared at the small fabric garment as if it were an explosive in the teenager's hand. Noodle held it delicately between her thumb nail and her middle finger trying not to touch at it too much. Before Noodle could speak, Paige grabbed the thong out of the guitarist's hands.

"This is, umm, it's mine… Yeh, it's mine. Sorry you had to see that." Paige noticed Noodle eye the bra that also lay on the floor. Paige picked it up as well saying, "Also mine." Noodle looked at her in a skeptical way. The brazier that the Aussie held was definitely a size C or larger. Compared to Paige's small chest the lingerie seemed to be a couple sizes off. Noodle also had a hard time believing the thong was Paige's.

"Doesn't that bra seem a bit big for you, Paige-san. No offence."

Murdoc cackled at Paige's failed attempt and the fact that what Noodle said was quite true. Paige thought quickly. She was good at that, thinking on her toes.

"Well, Noodle. Some times you need a little 'Puh-POW' when you're as flat as me." Paige motioned as she put the bra against her perky little chest and showing how the bra gave the illusion of larger boobs. "But don't tell anyone. It's my little secret." The Aussie winked to the giggling guitarist.

"And Murdoc's, too!" Noodle encouraged as she looked back to the Satanist with her wide smile. He nodded to Noodle but it was really intended for Paige. She saw this as he glanced up at her as if saying, "Nice cover up, kid. Now what to do with the Jap…" So Paige thought for a second, walked over to Noodle, and whispered into her ear.

"I'll give you some other tips later." Noodle giggled again and Murdoc wondered what Paige was telling her. 'Hurry up!' he thought. 'Tha' cat's still outside!'. Paige then nudged Noodle on the shoulder saying "And I also know where 2D is if you were wondering. He went to the cinema to pick out a movie for later. Can you tell him to try and find the movie "Dead Alive" for me? He probably has it and knows what I'm talking about. You're welcome to watch with us." This had gotten Noodle out of her seat and walking towards the exit. Murdoc sighed in relief as she started her way out.

"Arigato, Paige. I will. Bye-bye!" and Noodle skipped out of the kitchen and down the corridor. The two watched as she made her way to the end and made certain that she had gotten into the lift. They simultaneously sighed in relief. Murdoc looked at Paige for a second and she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Having a friend isn't so bad after all, is it?" she asked before she walked back towards the balcony and opened the door, the lingerie still in her hands. She poked her head out to the side, startling the naked broad. "You can come back in now. And put these on." She said holding out the underwear. The woman walked back in and before Paige knew it, she felt a warm embrace around her neck and large breast pressed against her.

"Thanks, Honey." The red-head murmured to Paige. The Australians face was red and hot do to the predicament she was in at the moment. Naked women didn't usually come up to hug her often. Especially not ones with jumblies three or four times bigger then her own. (Yes, I used the word "jumblies". Austin Powers anyone? I'm gonna get sued…) Paige patted the strangers back awkwardly.

"No problem." She replied as the woman pulled away and started to put on her clothing. There was enough weirdness happening at the time, Paige didn't want more. "I'm gonna jet. Bye Murdoc." Paige said as she left the kitchen, giving the bassist a pat on the arm and a look that she hadn't given him before. 'Wos that her seductive eye?' the Satanist pondered as the cellist walked with large and fast strides down the corridor and as far away from the kitchen as possible. Paige nearly had forgotten how hungry she was before but would have to wait for another opportunity.

"Who wos tha'?" the woman questioned as she pushed herself against the bassist with her large chest. She has gotten her underwear and skirt on but still hadn't gotten her shirt on yet.

He looked down to the short woman and bluntly stated, "My cousin."

The woman frowned at this but didn't respond when the bassist pushed his lips onto hers. They stood there for a moment, kissing until it became more passionate. Murdoc had set the woman on the table and hiked a hand up to the hem of her skirt. The red-head pulled at him, not caring that she would probably get caught this time around. She was entirely right about the fact. Russel knocked on the door frame and cleared his throat to get their attention. The red-head groaned at the sight of the man in the door way and glared at Murdoc.

"And who's this? Your uncle?"


End file.
